


Speak Not a Word of This

by MrMcLemons



Category: Mortal Engines Series - Philip Reeve
Genre: Background Relationships, Drunk Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Hate to Love, Hatred, Kissing, Library Sex, Lots of OCs - Freeform, Love Bites, Love/Hate, Office Sex, Other, Possessive Behavior, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tom isn't here, aggressive dislike, pre-mortal engines, well kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-09-05 18:46:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16816339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMcLemons/pseuds/MrMcLemons
Summary: Being an apprentice historian is nothing special, that is until the Head Historian, one of the most powerful men in all of London, suspects you don't like him. It is a dangerous thing to pique the interest of a man who has time on his hands and all the power to decide the path of your future."She pulled the slip first noticing a thin line of gold decorating the outer edges of the paper, and then the bold words ‘YOU’RE INVITED’ plastered neatly as if printed on with a stamp. Her eyes flew beneath the rest of the small text, to a blank space where another pre-written message should have been but was replaced with a handwritten note in elegant cursive.Rome didn’t fall in a day. Indulge me.T. ValentineShe flipped the card over, as if to confirm that what she was seeing was indeed real. Her name stared back at her mockingly in the same cursive hand – ‘Adeline Lane Finn’."





	1. War on Rome

**Author's Note:**

> Please r&r!

There was hardly a speck of dust surviving even on the highest shelves in London's famous Bethnal Green Library.

On a regular day Adeline Finn would've blustered around at her own pace in the little fortress of books to dispel of cobwebs and the sort, but recently the library was being maximized for its full potential by all guilds in London, which meant less work dusting and more work being a librarian.

She speculated the higher-ups were on the brink of some new discovery. Typically, that meant the inclusion of all guilds aside from the historians, who were strictly of use because of their long withstanding resources. However, Marquade - head of the library sector - had made it clear that Valentine was at the helm of the new discovery and required a fuller, more furnished access by his own guild, even if Marquade was somewhat hesitant of the man himself.

Every once and a while, often during one of Adeline's new reading escapades or a time where Marquade was utterly dry to speak of any other subject, he would voice his spineless concerns of the head of the guild. "A curious fellow, he is," Marquade would always begin, "Far too young to be the head of historians, but I suppose that's what you get when you're Crome's right hand man! I just wonder… the head of historians should be functioning constantly in London, not going out on petty and… and secretive adventures!" Or some variation of that, and then always ending with, "But what do I know? I'm just the head of the library, and you my astute apprentice."

Marquade never thought she was listening, but every time Valentine was brought up in a conversation Adeline's back would set straight with steel and whatever thought possessed her mind was disbanded to listen with the utmost attentiveness. He was often brought up by name, as he was the head of the guild of historians, but she wouldn't ever glow with awe at the sound of his name like most other apprentices. Her reservations about him were her own, and she quite liked them that way.

In fact, the only person aware of her ill feelings for the head of the historians was Beau, a fellow apprentice just one year her senior but sharing the same rank. He worked in the same department, and while he didn't share Adeline's vapid affinity for books, he did hold a fair amount of affection and friendliness for her.

A thunk sent a cascade of dust spiraling down onto Beau's head, but the second-class apprentice seemed none-the-wiser as he held a book up to his face in inspection. "Kleegley's Beginners Guide to Cogs, Wheels, and Hog Machines, now why would a second-class engineer need a book like that? Why, it's practically child's work for them!"

"I'm sure you could make a light read of it," Adeline commented from the ladder just above him, her feet crossed inwards on the tenth rung. She was perusing the gallery of JIMAL to JUNESKI, looking for a particular book authored by a man named Arthur Jasten, per the orders of Marquade.

"Obviously they're over indulging in their light reading if they can't even come to pick up the books themselves!"

"Oh, stop being so petty. We're apprentices of the library, are we not? It's what we do – ah, and here is the next one! Jasten's Hastening of Odd Tech and Their Many Applications. Another light read, I'm sure?"

Ignoring her jab, Beau caught the book as she caught it and added it to the growing pile. "Haven't these authors ever heard of short titles? It's an unnecessary mouthful."

She only hummed in response as she came down the ladder slowly, managing to not look overly smug at him as she walked past and picked up a considerable stack of the books.

"Hey, wait! Who are you to be calling me petty, Missus Finn?" He picked up the remaining stack and followed her, only continuing once he was sure she'd heard him. "Shall I endeavor to bring up our beloved head of historian and the pettiness you hold towards him?"

"Please, Beau. You're grasping at straws."

"Am I, though, Addie dearest?"

"In what way have I, as you say, demonstrated my quote-in-quote 'pettiness'?"

"Your glaring dislike, of course!" He said, grinning easily at her. She hardly managed to hide a grin of her own as they began descending the steps to the front of the great library, navigating towards the front where the rest of the order of books was waiting.

"Dislike alone is not argument enough, why I haven't even properly met the man!"

"Ah, so you agree you dislike him?"

"You're using my words out of context against me."

"I suppose I shall have to exhaust my resources in bringing up our first historian tournament, then? While everyone else would fawn at the opportunity to meet the unrivaled Thaddeus Valentine you sat back with a scowl on your face because you had to shake his hand!"

Adeline looked shortly at him, "Your exaggerations are exhausting all my mental resources."

"Or," Beau continued, acting as if she hadn't spoken, "Shall I bring up our first party in the Kensington Gardens. While we all cheered at the arrival of our beloved head returning from one of his many adventures, you sat in the corner and read a book."

"In all fairness, I had my apprenticeship exam the next day."

"Like you of all people needed a brush up!" Beau laughed heartily, setting down his pile of books first. Adeline followed suit, popping her knees into a crouch with the intent on starting a new pile, not noticing the shift in her companion's grin from hearty to downright alarming as the door to the library silently opened and closed. "Speak of the devil! Now's your time."

Adeline nearly dropped her books at his sudden twist of words. Still on her knees, she looked at Beau then followed his softening gaze over her shoulder to...

"Mr. Valentine! It's an honor." Beau graciously took the lead, bowing in respect to the head of their guild. Adeline stayed kneeling, fiddling with the books though the rest of her appeared tense at the sudden turn of events.

You've got to be kidding me, she thought bitterly as she looked at him.

Valentine ceased his approach once he reached the base of the steps, looking up to them although in all other aspects it was quite the opposite. "I don't believe we've met before, Mister…?"

Taking this as her cue to stand, Adeline climbed in one swift movement to her feet and stood facing him as well. She took in the sight of his appearance, none too different from the other glimpses she'd had of him before: a black overcoat, draped over a deep purple vest, open at the collar, with black slacks and newly shined shoes. His beard was trim, hair tame but not greased; all dark colors that contrasted greatly with the shining cerulean of his eyes. The only thing that shone as bright was the historian pin gleaming on the breast of his jacket, intertwined with intricate designs that represented all that historians valued.

"Beauregard Manson, a second-class apprentice myself. This is my other fellow apprentice, Addie-" She nonchalantly kicked him in the shin, "-Adeline," he corrected shortly, "Finn. Also a second-class apprentice."

Beau looked sharply at her. "Apologies," she murmured unapologetically.

"A pleasure to meet you both in person. From what I recall, Mr. Marquade speaks very highly of both his apprentices," Valentine said, beginning to climb up the steps until he was only one below – now towering over them with his height despite the disparity. "Are you both to be taking your first-class exams soon?"

"Hopefully," Adeline answered reflexively, trying to keep her voice void of the tightness rapt in her posture.

Beau clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Adeline actually hopes to skip the first-class exam and go for the gold, I myself am far less ambitious."

Being in the limelight once more caused for a sour turn of Adeline's face. She tried to hide back her grimace of nervousness as Valentine turned his gaze once more to her and inclined his head. "Very impressive. I take it you both are looking for advancements?" Advancements out of the library sector, Adeline thought. It was the underbelly of the historian's guild, but it was also the place Addie felt most at home.

"No." Adeline answered abruptly, "I know I want to stay here."

"And I quite enjoy her company, if she'll have me." He winked her way, and she barely managed to bite back a snort. "Are you here to see Mr. Marquade?" Beau said before Valentine could comment any further.

"Indeed I am, Mr. Mason. As much as I'd like to spend my free time browsing the Bethnal Green library, I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a time crunch." His eyes shifted to Adeline halfway through, and she met his gaze evenly without so much of a fidget. He smiled charmingly, albeit tightly, but she didn't return it.

"Of course, Mr. Valentine. Right this way." Beau released his grip on Adeline's shoulders and led them further into the library, Adeline at his side and careful to not look back as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Her palms were growing increasingly clammy, and her fellow apprentice's teasing glares weren't helping.

"Addie-"

"Shut up, Beauregard," she whispered harshly. He snickered as they came around the corner, Mr. Marquade watching as his two apprentices shifted to the side to reveal the head historian trailing behind.

"Oh, Mr. Valentine! An unexpected visit, but wonderful nevertheless. Yes, wonderful indeed!" He approached, enthusiastically shaking the head's hand. Adeline compared the dull copper shade of Marquade's pin to that of the shining silver one of Valentine. "What endeavor brings you here? Something to do with the new discovery everyone's been in a hissy over, I imagine?"

"You'd imagine correctly. I consulted the most updated list of books in our library and have made a list of some I need…" He handed over a folded piece of paper that he'd pulled from the pocket of his overcoat. Marquade took it, glanced over it, then handed it over to Beau who didn't even take a second to hand it to Adeline.

Unfolding the paper again, Adeline looked it over and managed to decisively divide up the list into two portions that would contain half and half to certain areas of the library. "Beau, you take Paank through Zirkle, I'll do Aaron through Orion. And Mr. Marquade, if you could get Anthology 500 that would be great, I would but…"

"It's in the restricted section, I understand. Thank you, Adeline - Beauregard. Be on your way." He hurried them off with a wave of his hand.

"Can I have the list, Addie? My memory is short compared to yours." Beau said teasingly.

"I'm positively blushing," she replied deadpan, handing over the paper.

"Shoo, you two!" Marquade said in a familiar chastising tone, the smile on his lips giving off that he was anything but annoyed. Adeline and Beau turned to follow their orders, but not before both caught tail of what transpired next. "You can wait at the front if you please, Mr. Valentine."

"I think I'll follow Miss Finn, it's been a while since I've had a sense of the library myself."

Adeline stuttered mid-step and turned to face him, nearly colliding with the bookshelf at her left shoulder but managing to right herself before she could further be made to look like a fool. Over Valentine's shoulder Beau had stopped to quirk a playful brow, but the feeling of dread and anticipation that had settled into her stomach didn't allow for her to be able to feel like she was at the end of anything less than a cruel turn of fate.

She looked to Valentine's face, opening her mouth as if to dispute, but his face was hard even with the smile that graced it, and she'd remembered the tone of his voice being harsh even if it was masked with a mask of harmlessness. Looking into his eyes, she felt he was anything but harmless. He was doing this on purpose!

Before she did anything brash Adeline resigned herself with the incline of her head. "Right this way, sir." She turned and felt lashes of heat strip her cheeks, so glad he couldn't see her raw reaction at having to be alone with him.

It was hard to not think about the sound of his shoes walking in a confident tempo behind her. She could feel his heated gaze and tried desperately to distract herself from him, so she could focus on remembering what books he needed so she could get them as swiftly as possible and escape. Being with him alone had made her forget why she disliked him so much, and she figured it was because of the overwhelming anxiety of the unpredictable future.

Luckily, upon reaching her destination, Adeline realized all the titles in this section were between the two rows she was currently in. Since the library itself wasn't overly large and divided into sections, this wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, she was just glad she wasn't completely doomed.

Despite her better nature she glanced back at him warily, making a split second of eye contact before whipping around and busying herself once more.

Five books. She only needed to get five. That was child's play for her, yet Adeline felt as if she was once more a third-class apprentice on her first day in the library: nervous and unprepared.

Ignoring the ill feelings welling up inside her, Adeline opted to think of something else as she browsed for the first of the books. Even then her thoughts came back to him, to his jacket, his emblem, the chiseled jawline hiding behind a brusquely cut beard. In fact, she could feel his frosty blue eyes digging into her now as she reached on her toes for the first book of many.

A sudden pressure plastered her to the shelf, "Allow me," and she realized he was pushed against her with his arm raised, making a show of grabbing the book without effort. For a moment he unnecessarily paused, book in hand, and she felt every contour of his front pressed against her back. It expelled the air from her lungs, and she was sure he was breathing down her neck intentionally before drawing back as if nothing had happened in the first place.

Daring a look back at him, Adeline could barely control her own emotional baggage as a red fire raced its way up her neck and cheeks and all the way into her ears. "I assure you I am quite capable of retrieving the items you requested, sir."

His eyebrows rose, only lowering when a somewhat lecherous grin curled at his lips. "Go on, then."

She felt like a child with the way he was treating her. The anger returned full force, although apart of her was still contemplating how nice it felt to have his warm breath drafting over her throat, and then, even more prevalent, the feeling of his body pressed to hers.

"Lord help me," she murmured to herself, snagging the ladder that was conveniently on an adjacent shelf and propping it up where she needed it. These next two books were about three feet apart, and she place the ladder right in the middle of them so as to get both in one go.

Four rungs up and she got one, she didn't turn over her shoulder when she extended her arm down, but she didn't miss the slight brush of his hand over hers as he took the book. Another two rungs up and the second was in sight, she reached out –

"Aren't you curious to what all this hassle has been about?"

Valentine's voice so suddenly breaking the silence sent Adeline's leg in a spasm, and she had to clutch tightly at the ladder so as not to fall. She grimaced, not looking down though she was sure he had noticed her reaction.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," she paused, remembering her place, "Sir."

"Engineers typically don't read books that often."

"Yes, and apprentices don't ask questions unless it pertains to their education."

She got the next book, but this time couldn't control the urge to turn around and look at him standing behind and below her. "Do you not think curiosity pertains to a Historian's education?"

"I think that if it pertained healthily to my curiosity, there would not be such an intense animosity surrounding the subject. Anyways, I'm just a second-class apprentice," She smiled blithely at him, handing the book before turning to face the shelf. The final two books were far down the shelf to her left, and she was eager to end this encounter as quickly as possible.

Her first option was to climb down and tediously move the ladder by hand before climbing back up. Her second was to ask for his assistance. Neither sounded fair to her, leaving her with one more…

"Are you in need of assistance, Adeline?"

"No need, Valentine." Grimacing, she grasped the handles of the smooth wooden ladder and let her weight on her left foot, using her right to push against the frame of the book shelf and propel her down the way. When the first of the books came into sight her fingers grasped at the shelf structure and pulled her to a slow stop, the entire motion leaving her slightly breathless but impressed with the grace she'd managed to maintain.

She got the last two books in record time, dropping them down to him, who'd surprisingly remained silent. Realizing she was quite finished with those whole experience, she braced her hands and feet on the outside of the ladder and let her grip falter, just enough so the wooden pillars slipped between her grip and she slid down to the ground.

Adeline's landing was marked with a resounding thump. She brushed her hands over her vest, offering her hand out to take the books. His smile was now a cold smirk, and she suddenly felt regretful at the way she'd spoken to him just by the way he looked at her in that moment. "No need," he echoed her words back, standing still.

For a moment she did nothing, becoming blatantly aware of the red that rushed up her neck before she moved around him, purposefully arching her route so she wouldn't brush him.

He moved in her path, casually leaning against the bookshelf and blocking her exit. He tsked, sounding like he was berating a mutt. "Not quite done with you yet, I have a few questions first."

"Perhaps we should get back, I –"

"Oh, Addie dearest. There's no need to be nervous." He grabbed her by her upper arms, and somewhere in between this flurry she noticed that she'd stopped breathing, and her heartbeat had become so loud that she hardly heard the books he'd been carrying drop to the floor. "I think Mr. Marquade would be quite disappointed to hear one of his apprentices didn't accommodate me properly. I'm in no rush at all, they won't miss us."

He had backed her into one of the shelves, and she was battling between inner feelings of rage at his arrogance and fear at the compliance she naturally gave when he commanded it. She looked up at him, trying not to quiver under the warm clasp of his touch.

"Alright." She gulped past the lump in her throat, trying to have her voice match the steadiness of the gaze. "Go… go on, then."

"You don't like me," Adeline opened her mouth to protest, but he brought his hand up to clasp her chin and clench her cheeks painfully together. "Now, none of that. I daresay, even, that you don't respect me either. At least not in the way you should."

His grip loosened for a moment as if urging her to speak. "How should I?" She grits out.

Valentine's grin was sly, the handsomely charming man the historians boasted as their head gone and replaced with this suave shell of an ambitious and arrogant leader set on achieving a goal. It frightened her, and… at the same time utterly confused her. He was warm, his hands soft in touch despite their many callouses and harsh grip, and his breath was chilled with the scent of sweet spearmint.

Her body was unsure of how to react. Never had she been so close to a man besides Beau before, but all of her friend's advances had been just that: friendly, never commanding or unsettling like now. Adeline tried to make sense of her lack of disgust, searching her mind for an appropriate word to structure her bodily responses behind, finding none beyond the shudders that raced up her spine and the blood rushing into her neck.

"You should revere my presence, as every other historian does. Of course, we find our own niches: mine in discovery, yours in books. There's no problem in that. The issue comes when you forget where your head is, when your lack of respect stems into something else that threatens me."

"You assume I want advancement."

His eyes glinted, "Why do you say that?"

"By your logic I would only speak if I stood to have something to gain." Adeline steadily met his gaze despite how it seemed to burn her. "But now I have nothing to gain, nor would I ever, if you found me disobedient."

"Your disobedience alone means you have everything to gain or lose," he responded lowly.

"And if I like being alone with my books?" At his hard stare she gulped and began to clarify. "I mean, all I've ever wanted was to be here: in the library. I… I don't see how I could ever threaten you."

"I wouldn't imagine you to ever threaten me. No, that wouldn't be likely…" His free hand floated up to ghost her cheek, his knuckles brushing the pink speckled skin before it redrew and his fingers slowly rain down the curve of her face and to her parted lips. "They won't notice the looks, but they'll see the slow compliance. Your hesitation to follow my every word because of your dislike for me." His finger drifted over her lips, but his hand retracted.

"It's not, not dislike –"

His fist coiled and for a blinding second as he pulled it back she thought he was going to hit her, but instead the blow befell an unfortunate series of spines just to the right of her head. "What is it then?" He was snarling like an animal, the sudden shift in his mood having taken her by surprise – so much, in fact, that she didn't immediately answer. She much rather would've had him caressing her face if this was the alternative.

Still, a sudden hard lash of her anger resolved from the depths of her, matching the intensity of his stare as she lifted her arms and shoved him back. The sudden shift in her tone of action must've caught him by surprise, because he actually relinquished his grip enough for her to advance halfway and meet his snarl with one of her own.

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you. I have not been disobedient in the slightest. You may not appreciate the tone of voice which I address you, but I do not in any way shape or form disrespect you in a way that doesn't warrant it."

He came back at her with a suddenness that caught her on her back foot. Once more she was pressed against the bookshelf, except now she struggled. His grip fastened so that she could hardly move without her limbs cramping under his grip, and she'd have the bruises to prove her attempts of freedom.

"You know," he began over her struggle, "During the Roman Empire, any who opposed the ruler went missing. Always some sort of accident or another, one day here and the next gone. That would be an unfortunate fate, wouldn't it, Addie darling?"

She hissed, "Citing an Empire that fell tragically. History doesn't treat those who repeat the mistakes of the past with any kindness for the present, Mr. Valentine. A historian of your caliber should know that."

His face, adamantly drawn back in a sneer, relaxed in a sudden movement that stole any of the harsh lines from his face. She witnessed the return of the charming man everyone came to know as their head, and her breath seemed to be stolen from her chest in utter shock.

"You are adamant in your attitude, aren't you?" His hand came once more, but this time his thumb pulled a stray hair back from her face to tuck it behind her ear. His eyes appraised the blush with a smile that stretched from his lips to his gaze. "I wonder what I've done to achieve it."

His hand came down to clasp her neck, pad of his thumb brushing over her jumping pulse. Adeline was gaping like a fish, feeling confused and humiliated.

Valentine's head leered forward, and she felt his breath waver with the solid stroke of his hands. "All in good time," his lips brushed over her ear, "though I would advise hiding your ill will behind a stronger façade, I'd expect better of an apprentice in my guild." He pulled back and hovered long enough to place a chaste kiss on her temple, and then he had completely withdrawn himself from her space and her throat was clogged with his lack of presence.

A sudden flurry of steps pierced her senses, but she was still leaning heavily on the shelf of books behind her, arm pressed over her chest as if in an attempt to hide apart of herself from the world. Valentine met her unbidden shock with a look of devious mirth, his slight gesture with his hand seen but not registering with her mind until Beau appeared at the end of the isle.

"Addie?" He seemed to have said something before that, which she hadn't heard. "What… are you alright?" He must've noticed the flushed tone her pallor had taken, or perhaps even the pale, sickly way her cheeks were blustering. Maybe even how she was nearly about to collapse on the floor.

Unable to offer her own response, Valentine interjected as he toed one of the books at his feet. "She merely dropped the collection, is all," He smiled at Beau, "Must've been a snag in the rug."

"Well, alright." Beau came over to his friend and collected the books on the ground, he looked kindly at her. "Come on you sorry sod, Marquade won't be happy if we make him wait any longer."

"Oh, yes, of course. I think I just got distracted s'all."

"You, distracted? Never." His cheeky grin didn't manage to break her of her reverie. Adeline was so deep in her thoughts even Beau's joking manner couldn't pierce it. She managed a light chuckle as she followed him, watching Valentine out of the corner of her eye. Beau's nudge jostled her. "You alright, really?"

"Later," was all she said.

Beau nodded slightly, repositioning the books in his hold before striking up a conversation with Mr. Valentine. He had no troubles talking towards anyone, and Adeline figured out quite early that despite finding themselves in the sector that required the most silence, Beau couldn't live in it. They were talking about something or another about one of Valentine's most recent trips, which hadn't been properly catalogued in Anthology 799, the Captain's Log Edition. She hardly made out the details of their conversation over the broiling mulling going about in her own head.

"–you found the only edition of Dracula? That's fantastic! One of the classics from before the sixty-minute war, no less." Beau turned back to her, "Did you hear that, Addie? Dracula!"

Valentine smiled at her then Beau, cherishing the way the young apprentice fawned over him. "Not the only edition, actually. I managed to find a copy and keep it for myself."

"Who could blame you?"

They reached the entrance where Marquade was waiting with a man, Valentine's driver Adeline assumed, who carried the remaining books in a portable carrier at his side. At the sight of the three of them returning with the remaining books in tow.

"Ah, I see Mr. Manson found you! I was beginning to worry something had happened." Marquade's grin was teasing, but the statement still put Adeline on edge. Did he really suspect something had happened? "Miss Finn here can be quite talkative when you get her on the right subject. No trouble, though, I suspect. Did you get a sense of the library for yourself, Mr. Valentine?"

Adeline watched as Beau helped load the rest of the books, tensing when the head historian's unexpected and unwarranted touch returned to her shoulder as if they were old friends. "No trouble at all. Miss Adeline was quite the tour guide and conversationalist, I see you keep the books in tip-top shape and your apprentices even better off."

Marquade was so busy beaming at Valentine's compliments he barely noticed the way Adeline had reacted to the head's affections. He let go, the warmth of his touch lingering even as he slowly drifted down the steps to where his books and driver were.

"So glad to have helped you here today, then, Mr. Valentine! Don't be a stranger, if you ever need assistance, we will be more than willing to offer it. People often forget the many uses of us in the library sector."

Adeline gulped at the thought of him coming back. His eyes twisted to hers, and she saw the dark intent behind the deep grey gaze as it settled on her. "Many uses, indeed." He bowed, boasting at his silent victory over her. She met his eyes straight on, compromised as she was with utter humiliation. "Till next time."

She knew the phrase was aimed at her, even though Marquade gave an enthusiastic response and she only stared after him. He turned to leave, and she watched as his black coat drifted like a shadow behind him. Her fists clenched at her sides as she thought about how he'd cornered her and played with her emotions so easily, just to get a pure reaction for what? Entertainment? A distraction?

Adeline felt the anger return and replace her other sweeping emotions. This little game, whatever it may be, had only just begun. He turned at the door for one final glance back, his eyes radiating approval as he met her harsh stare with an amused one of his own. But the warning behind the message was clear: speak not a word of this.


	2. Drinks, Anyone?

It was dinner time four days later when Beau finally brought it up.

Honestly Adeline had anticipated he’d crack sooner, but they’d gone through many days of routine in the library fulfilling more and more orders without it becoming the topic of conversation. His chats were normal, his glances not any more frequent than usual. Adeline suspected he hadn’t thought anything had gone drastically wrong, but he obviously expected something was in the air when she hadn’t immediately cursed Valentine’s name upon him leaving as Beau had expected.

Adeline was almost sure he wouldn’t remember at all until, while drinking a cup of iced peppermint tea, he set his utensils down and looked at her. “Had enough time to think yet?”

Over the rim of her cup she met his eyes. “On?”

“I’ve given you a whole day to mull it over, you know perfectly well what I’m talking about.” He poked her arm, and Adeline tried not to sigh too heavily.

“Must we really discuss this?”

“C’mon Addie, my tongue’s been itchin’ for a scratch all day, but I haven’t said anything till now. Just humor me, will you?”

“I’m not sure you’ll like what you’ll hear.” She sipped her tea again, wiping her chin on the back of her dark gray sleeve before looking up. “I… well, he seemed desperate to confirm the image I had of him in my head. He was utterly…” she fished for the right word, her face turning red as she recalled the previous day. “He _is_ utterly frustrating. No, infuriating! Oh, makes me angry just thinking about it.”

When Adeline looked to her friend, she was faced with the front of an earnest confusion. Beau’s hand had gone to his hair, tugging on the locks in thought. After a moment more, he said, “Are you being honest?”

“Of course I am!” Adeline spluttered defensively, “Why would I lie?”

“I suppose I thought you’d clammed up because you didn’t want to admit you were wrong about him.”

“It might’ve hurt my pride, but had I been wrong I would’ve admitted it.” She sighed, “Begrudgingly, of course. But I wasn’t, he… he is…. Well, its rather hard to say in words, actually.”

“He’s got you that clogged up? What happened, did he threaten to burn down the library?”

“Later.” Was all she said before she smiled to the approaching figure behind Beau, a tall man donned in neutral clothes and a hat, a small messenger bag slung over his shoulder with the flap open and a handful of letters in hand. He was two years younger than Adeline but easily one of the most popular figures around, not just because his job allowed him to be social but because he was fantastic about it. “Hello Giles, any news?”

His face perked at her greeting, the sun-kissed lines of his face crinkling. “Addie, Beau!” Giles greeted, smiling charmingly. “And yes – lots of news, matter of fact. A letter for each of you and then… this - ” Giles reached into the bag and pulled out a package, wrapped tight in brown paper and a string. “ – for you, Addie.”

The package was heavy. “Who’s it from?”

Giles scratched at the thin scruff on his chin, “Dunno, was just told to tell you that you shouldn’t open it till your alone.” Addie responded with a slight noise like a grunt as she turned the package over. “Oh! And did you guys hear ‘bout the party later?”

“No, you’re our gossipmonger after all.” Beau said teasingly. “What’s it for?”

“Heard it’s for Valentine’s daughter.” Beau didn’t miss the way Adeline sharply looked up, though Giles seemed none the wiser. “Yeah, her birthday or some sort? All the historians should be invited, but I think its more of a classy thing than anythin’ else, her bein’ a lady of high London n all.”

“We probably won’t be invited, then, if its historians.” Beau said, taking the words right from Adeline’s head. “Do you think your impression on Mr. Valentine could’ve fished us an invitation, Addie?”

“Doubtful,” she said, deadpan.

“Bugger me! You met Mr. Valentine, Addie?” Giles asked excitedly. “Up close, I mean. I know you’d’ve met him before, but - I mean I’ve met him, greeted him n all the normal formalities. What was it like?”

Adeline tried to keep her tone light, as if she was joking. “Nothing to prattle on about, I assure you. He just asked me if I was curious about what was going on. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Giles asked, sounding confounded, “That’s more than most could hope for!”

“So, you’ll tell Giles when he asks but you won’t tell me, huh?” Beau said, poking her. “Here I was thinking something had actually happened to make you hate him.”

“Something did happen, and – I don’t, I never said I _hate_ him,” Adeline sighed as she rubbed her face, “I just don’t know what to think about it still.”

“You just don’t know how to justify why you dislike him so much,” Beau said matter-of-factly.

Giles gaped, “Addie? You don’t…?”

“Don’t listen to him, Giles. He’s just being dramatic. Hating the head would be suicide, and I’m not that dumb no matter what he says.” Adeline jabbed her finger in Beau’s direction before she turned to face him with an accusing look. “Aren’t you going to open your letter?”

“Only if you open yours, too.”

At Beau’s wink Adeline frowned comically and lifted her letter, “Cheers, then?” They hit their flimsy papers together, and Adeline finally got a good look at the petite envelope. It was quite formal, made of suave paper that was firm in structure yet soft to the touch. She’d never received anything of this dignity before, she was almost hesitant to tear open the red wax seal. Her mind was nipping at her heels with theories of who it could be from, who did she know at such a high level as to be able to afford this paper that would remember her? She knew the answer: no one.

Her gut wrenched at the familiar Historians emblem staring back on the seal, and her desire to confirm the anticipation twisting in her gut overpowered her desire to be ignorant. She tore the seal off and pulled back the flap.

“Mine’s just a letter from me mum,” Beau said with a disappointed sigh. “What’d you get, Addie?”

She pulled the slip first noticing a thin line of gold decorating the outer edges of the paper, and then the bold words ‘ **YOU’RE INVITED’** plastered neatly as if printed on with a stamp. Her eyes flew beneath the rest of the small text, to a blank space where another pre-written message should have been but was replaced with a handwritten note in elegant cursive.

_Rome didn’t fall in a day. Indulge me._

_T. Valentine_

She flipped the card over, as if to confirm that what she was seeing was indeed real. Her name stared back at her mockingly in the same cursive hand – ‘Adeline Lane Finn’.

Too shocked to be angry or capable of any control over her emotions, Adeline just gaped at the paper, unable to respond to Beau as he prompted her for an answer persistently. Finally, she held out the paper and he snatched it from her, scanning it over before exclaiming, “Great Quirke, Addie!”

“There must’ve been some sort of mistake,” Adeline said on an unsteady breath. “Really, I don’t think this is meant for me.”

“What are you talking about? It has your bloody name on it! It’s obviously meant for you, he even hand wrote something to you.” His eyes flickered back to the text, “What does that mean, anyways? About the Rome thing. Of course it didn’t fall in a day, he knows that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Adeline waved her hand, “I’m not going.”

“I reckon you got an invite then, Addie?” Giles asked. “I’m going with a friend of mine, from the engineering guild.”

“Yes I did,” she confirmed over Beau’s exasperated cries of ‘Of course you are!’ and ‘Are you crazy?’. She barely managed to process what else Giles had said when she added breathily, “Like I said, I think it was a mistake.”

“Mistake? No ma’am.” Giles shook his head before gesturing to the card she’d snatched back from Beau, “Those are Valentine’s personal correspondences, shoulda noticed when I was given it to deliver, I guess I just wasn’t paying attention was all.”

“You just probably didn’t think I’d ever get one.” Adeline said. Giles blushed madly and pulled the hat off his head to run a strong hand through his hair, looking sheepish. At his reaction she added, “Don’t feel bad, I wasn’t expecting it either.”

Giles laughed at that, seeming to have been dispersed of his nervousness by her comment. Beau took the chance to interject, “London to Addie! We’re not ignoring this opportunity, I don’t know what you and Valentine talked about to get this –“ he waved his hand at her letter, “– but we’re not losing this opportunity. Apprentices hardly make it to parties, let alone high London events like _this_. Can you imagine how fancified Kensington Gardens will be? It’ll be a sight!”

“A sight I can see from my dorm bed.”

Beau floundered, “With a telescope, maybe!”

“A telescope it is then, I can still see it.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, indignant. Beau took the strong look on her face as a challenge and met it with one of his own. “We’re going.”

“No. We’re. Not.”

Three hours later and they were standing under the arch at the entrance of the Kensington Gardens, home to London’s best outdoor parties and gatherings. It was indeed bedecked ornately, strings of lights weaved throughout the ivy and over the wood and mason structures, flowers freshly plucked and placed into small groves like teardrops of stars falling from the sky. It was utterly decadent, obviously the most beautiful thing someone of Adeline’s status could ever hope to see, let alone be privy to for a whole night.

And yet she would’ve rather have been anywhere else. Like the library, or her quarters, or, even, on the ever-dreaded gut-duty.

Quite literally anywhere but here.

“Wow, this is amazing.” Beau whispered beside her, arm linked with hers as he dragged her through the arch and into the heart of the party. He was dressed in his finest slacks and button-up, abandoning the usual apprentice overcoat in favor of a vest. Beau had explained he wanted to dress colorfully, since apprentice Historians were so often restricted to just gray and black.

He’d somehow persuaded a reluctant Cho Fox to lend one of her dresses, since Adeline was without a suitable option herself, but hers was rather plain. It seemed Cho was reluctant to part with any of her elegant ware, or perhaps she was spurned by jealousy, but either way Adeline was left with no choice but to don the gray and red garment for the occasion and put some work into her appearance.

Even though she didn’t want to come, and she definitely didn’t want him to think she’d put this effort in for his appeasement, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make an impression on other important people within her guild and outside of it. Tactically it was a magnificent opportunity, but the means in which she’d fished it were less than pleasant.

A hand reached out in front of her, suddenly. “Invitation, please.” She followed the arm up to a tight, smarmy looking face that was staring at her with a disapproving leer. It was pinched like a tight lip of skin, wearing black and white formal attire but obviously not excited to be serving at a party. Either way she slipped the paper in her hand to him, noticing how crinkled it was from her grip as he nabbed it from her hand.

His smug gaze faltered for a moment as he looked over the invitation, an obvious mark of the Head Historian’s approval of her being there. He frowned, but his arm didn’t move to let them pass.

The man looked to Beau. “And you?”

“I don’t have one, I-“

“He’s with me.” Adeline firmly clasped her hand over his, pulling herself closer into Beau’s side by the tangle of their arms.

The man looked back down at the paper, “Your invitation doesn’t specify a plus one.”

Adeline was shocked for a moment, as was Beau at the obvious oversight, but then her face twisted and she could hardly contain a grin, “Oh, how _unfortunate_ ,” she said rather gladly.

Turning to her, Beau’s face became stern. Challenging, almost, though Adeline wasn’t intimidated. “You’re still going.”

“Am I?” She tried to turn, only to be yanked back by her friend. “I am not going unless you’re with me. If you can’t come, that means I won’t go.”

His face relaxed into a pleading look, “Addie-“

“Ms. Finn, glad to see you received my invitation…”

… _That_ voice…

“…and with Mr. Manson, no less.”

Somehow he’d gotten behind her, she went to turn but then he was at her side, hand on her shoulder as he smiled charmingly at the pair. The lack of distance between them reminded her of their other encounter, and she could see the hidden amusement at her sudden displeasure swimming in his slate eyes.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Valentine. We’ll just be going now,” She tugged at her plus-one’s sleeve as she pulled her shoulder back to free herself from Valentine’s unwelcome touch. “Beau,” she murmured from the side of her mouth.

“Inconvenience?” His grip tightened on her shoulder, “Nothing could be farther from the truth, Ms. Finn. You and your guest are most welcome at my party.”

“Ah, splendid.” She said unenthusiastically, earning a skeptical grin from the ticket man as she passed. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Valentine purred lowly just so she could hear.

“Quirke, its even more beautiful inside,” Beau gasped. “Look!” She followed the line of sight of his finger, forgetting Valentine’s touch as she surveyed the inner garden, filled with hanging lanterns, flowers, and layer upon layer of soft purple. Hints of gold were also sprinkled about, so soft they just appeared as subtle winks drifting around in the growing night.

Her mouth fell open in awe. “It’s mesmerizing.”

“One of the merchants worked with quite the creative engineer to achieve this setup, I must say it worked out magnificently.” Despite her better judgement, Adeline found herself agreeing with Valentine as she continued to look around.

“Do you regret saying you didn’t want to come?” Adeline jabbed him in the side with her elbow at his too-loud comment.

“Stuff it.”

“Ow,” he said unconvincingly, “Oh, look – there’s Giles!” Across a throng of people Adeline spotted the tanned skin beneath a layer of fine threads that was usually absent from Giles’s closet. He wore mostly light clothing since he performed constant physical labor, delivering messages required unspeakable stamina, but he looked a completely different person now. Beau seemed to catch his eyes, because Giles smiled widely and Beau rushed over to meet him.

The unexpected sound of Valentine’s voice pulled her back, along with his grip on her arm, “Adeline.” His tone was warning, and as she turned to challenge him when she spied a small group of people heading right their way. At the front was the unmistakable figure of the Lord Mayor.

Adeline smirked, and felt arrogant enough to let a short wink slip as she said, “I’ve indulged you, haven’t I? Indulge me.”

He went to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by the seedy voice of the Lord Mayor stopped him before he could. “Valentine, there you are! I could only come by for a short while –“

He turned quickly, and she imagined he’d had to school his face into a warm expression as she pulled from his grip and took the opportunity to flee into the crowd. Beau seemed to have disappeared, because as she picked her way through the people it was impossible to find him. Adeline even looked for Giles, but her search was futile.

At one point she’d become so desperate that she tracked back to the entrance, catching Valentine’s eye over Crome’s plastic shoulder before she quickly turned and left his line of sight. That was not before a tray-carrier passed her, and she took the opportunity to snag a glass of the bubbling yellow liquid and down it in one go.

Adeline had never been a drinker, but one more glance at Valentine and she couldn’t think of any better night to begin than now.

The drink wasn’t so unpleasant going down as she thought. It was certainly no peppermint sweet tea, but it wasn’t disgusting either. It was somehow dry and fruity, but the alcohol hit her in her cheeks as she turned to track down another opportunity to snag one.

Adeline was about to chug the third when a hand lightly tapped her shoulder. “Maybe take this one a little slower?”

She turned, spluttering, the alcohol sloshing dangerously in the flute as she faced an unknown character. He was grinning, young eyes magnified behind a pair of large glasses that framed the rest of his blocky face. He was clean shaven to the nub, with a petite nose and thin lips, even smaller ears poking out from the curly tufts of his ginger hair.

“You must be Adeline Finn, nice to meet you!” He held out his hand, and she noticed the winking bronze emblem of the engineer guild. Even with two drinks under her belt and a third close to joining them, she managed to piece the puzzles together.

“Are you Giles’s friend?” She stumbled a bit over the messenger boy’s name but finished it off with a smile. “He said he was coming with an engineer.”

“A newly christened engineer, nevertheless! But yes, Giles is technically my plus one for tonight. I’m not programmed for party events like this, but Giles is… well – Giles, so I supposed if I was to have a companion it would be him.” Adeline had taken to sipping the third drink, nearly all of what he said having gone over her head. “But he seemed to have disappeared with your historian friend…”

“Beau,” Adeline supplied, feeling rather accomplished.

“Yes, Beauregard. Either way, I managed to get a good look at you before they went and ran off, so here we are.”

Adeline hovered on her left foot, leaning so she could see past her new friend, who’d hurriedly added that his name was Elias. She didn’t see Crome or Valentine, so she hurriedly downed the rest of the drink and interrupted whatever Elias had begun saying.

“How about we mosey around? I heard there’s floating appetizers, I want to try them all before we leave.” Adeline didn’t wait for a response, she grabbed Elias by the hand and began leading him through the group. When a waiter came by she asked if he wanted a drink, when he declined she murmured a low ‘Suit yourself’ before grabbing herself another.

“Not to sound rude, but your historian friend said you weren’t much of a party-goer.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, “When in Rome, I suppose.” A beat, “Ah, Quirke. That’s not what I meant, I… uh, never mind. Just trying new things.”

Elias looked lost, but all he said was, “Oh, alright.”

She put down her now empty glass and lunged for another, “You said you wanted one, right?”

“No I did not –“

“Oh, well – more for me, then!” She took this one a little more slowly, unaware of the sort of shock that was expressed quite obviously on Elias’s face. “Now, where are the appetizers at? I’m famished.”

“Maybe we should take a break, get some fresh air?” When she didn’t immediately respond he prompted, “How does that sound?”

“Great idea!” Adeline grabbed Elias’s arm, “It’s getting too hot in here anyways.” He nodded in affirmation, taking her by the upper arms and blushing as he hurriedly brought her out of the party. He couldn’t imagine what he looked like, practically dragging a beautiful, tipsy girl out of a party and into the night. Although the purpose of his pace was far more innocent: he didn’t want her to have the opportunity to grab another drink.

Out of the immediate barrier of the party it was far darker, and as they followed the winding path they came across less and less people. Some wanderers, others dumped in the grass. One particularly passionate couple were kissing behind a twist of vines that she’d somehow spied even in her hazy stupor. Elias had pulled her away before she could say anything, the darkness hiding his blush at also witnessing the act.

“Bench. I want to sit.” She hurried over to the small wooden bunch, also oblivious to the figure occupying the opposite end. Or the fact that she was trying to quietly cry.

“Adeline,” Elias whispered hurriedly, “There’s someone sitting there…”

He tried to pull her off the bench, but Adeline slapped clumsily at his hands until he stopped. “I got it.” Adeline waved him off and then moved slowly down the bench. She’d sobered up rather quickly when she finally noticed something _was_ wrong, but she hadn’t quite regained her ability to articulate. “I’m sorry to interrupt your… you… I mean, I was just wondering if there’s any way I can help?”

Adeline couldn’t quite make out her face in the cloak of the night, but she could see two dainty hands go up to cup what she guessed to be a perfectly sculpted face. “It’s nothing, really, I promise. I’ve just gone and gotten emotional over nothing.” By the tone of her voice Adeline guessed, though this girl was crying, that she was humiliated by her show of emotion. She didn’t want to pry and be the cause of more unwanted tears, however she also thought maybe a bit of encouragement was necessary.

“I may be drank… I may have had some drinks, but I can still tell when something is the matter. I didn’t even want to come, but talking to new people – like Elias, here – has made me feel an awful much better.”

“…Did you not wish to come because of who the party is being thrown for?”

Caught off guard by the question and sincerity of which the asker inquired, Adeline took a moment before responding. “No, that’s not it at all. I’ve heard Ms. Valentine is delightful, though I’ve never met her, I just don’t… particularly thrive in these settings.”

“Oh,” was all she said for a long moment. Then she sniffed and let out a short sigh, “Well I suppose its my turn to share now, isn’t it?” She laughed faintly, sounding as if she was about to burst into tears again. Adeline took the moment to place a comforting hand on the girls shoulder, trying not to be overtly awkward. “It was rather silly, now that I think about it. I overheard some girls talking about me… I had gone to find them to help entertain myself when they began talking about my mother and… about how I am only a lady of high London because of my father. But I won’t ever truly be one because I’m not of pure London blood like they are.

“They say these things a lot, and usually I can ignore it, but I just couldn’t today.” Her hands twitched idly in her lap, “Usually I have Dog with me to keep me company and distract me from such pettiness, but father insisted I couldn’t bring him, so I feel utterly alone without his guidance.”

Adeline hummed idly for a second, her brain working to shed the sluggishness that had clung to her thoughts ever since she started drinking. The result was just that she wanted to drink more, but she felt obligated to help this upset girl before she celebrated with a victory drink.

“H – wait – wait, wait, wai – I’ve got an idea.” She turned to face Elias, who was standing awkwardly to the side of the bench with his hands behind his back. He looked startled at the sudden attention thrown his way, “Do you have your invitation?”

He hurriedly began patting his pockets, fishing at something in the inside of his suit jacket when the tell-tale sound of paper crinkling met his ears. He pulled it out, “It’s not… I don’t have my invitation, but I do have this.”

“Perfect! What is it? Never mind, that doesn’t matter.” She snatched it from his hands, and looked at the paper excitedly, “It’ll make a perfect… you just wait.”

Adeline began with folding the paper at a certain line to create a square with an even nine or so inches on either side. The paper itself was rather stiff despite it having been folded so much, and all the markings appeared to be that of a map but Adeline was quite indifferent to what the paper had served before, she was only concerned with what it was going to be.

Her hands were surprisingly steady despite the lazy tremors that had struck her body with numbness, still she was successful in recalling the exact lines of where to bend, and in the minimal light that the party gave off a little bird began to take shape in her hands.

“Here.” Adeline took the girl’s open hand and placed the little paper figure in her hand, “Until you have Dog to protect you this can be your little guardian angel. You just pull its tail like so–“ she demonstrated by tugging on the little origami figure’s tail, “--and it’ll lunge forward to nip your target.” As expected, the little paper made a snap forward when Adeline pulled its tail, causing the girl to yelp and then begin laughing.

“Oh, that’s absolutely wonderful!” She inspected the little piece up close, a genuine smile on her face. “What is it?”

Adeline blushed, feeling quite like herself at the sudden feeling of pride that she’d been able to raise this girl’s spirit by a simple parlor trick she’d taught herself. “I’m actually not quite sure, actually. I think it’s a bird.”

“A bird…” She hummed appreciatively then yanked her eyes back to Adeline, the gray eyes strikingly familiar even in the low light. Where had she seen those eyes before? “Where’d you learn to do this?”

“Let’s make a deal: we head back to the party and then I tell you.” The girl didn’t hesitate to agree, nodding her head as she stood up. Adeline tried to match her speed but stumbled a bit. Elia was quick to steady her, grabbing her arm as they followed the path back to the party, to which she murmured her thanks. Someone was talking loudly, but Adeline figured the girl was waiting for an answer. “I taught myself actually, I read quite a lot of books and some of them have some interesting things to teach. This is a paper-folding art they call origami. It was practiced as a hobby before the war.”

“Oh, are you a historian?”

“An apprentice historian, actually.”

She smiled charmingly, her face lit as they finally breached the edge of the crowd. She was beautiful – pale, long blonde hair and features that reminded her of… _oh no_. “Then you’ll know my father! He’s the head historian.”

“Where is my daughter at?” The whispers fell to near silence, and the deep voice carried over Adeline’s head as the people surrounding them seemed to part, creating a straight path from Valentine to Adeline, Elias, and… “Katherine! There you are,” his eyes carried to Adeline, who was a mix between being embarrassingly pale and blushing madly. “I assume you’ve made the acquaintance of my daughter, then, Adeline?”

This was the first time Adeline had gotten a good look at the man she’d been trying to avoid all night. Some of his all black attire had been replaced with rich shades of burgundy, all tight-fitted and sleek looking – matching his daughter’s dress and, in some familiar way, Adeline’s own. She looked into his eyes, admitting to herself in the loosened part of her mind that the drinks had broken open that he looked undeniably handsome. Enough to where she lost her own breath, “Uh, yes.”

“She made me this!” Katherine held out the little figure.

When Valentine’s eyes wandered back to Adeline, she blurted. “It’s an origami bird.”

His eyebrow raised, but he smiled, “Wonderful,” He turned to Katherine, “But you know what comes with your birthday, don’t you?”

“My birthday dance!” She explained giddily, “Will you hold this for me?”

Adeline took the little paper bird and watched as Valentine grabbed Katherine by the arms and took her out onto the floor, vacant as everyone had formed a small circle around the pair. When the music started they began to dance, something unfamiliar though it seemed quite simple in theory. They seemed to be talking lowly, both smiling as they stepped forward and back and then around each other with such ease. Katherine was elegant and youthful, but the poise of which her father carried himself was unmatched. He was poised and sharp even in these simple movements, demanding attention and admiration with every step.

Quirke, she needed another drink.

“When they’re done, would you like to dance with me?” At the suddenness of Elias’s voice, Adeline jumped a little. He took her reaction with heated cheeks, “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

“No, I would love to.”

“I see you’ve found Elias,” a familiar voice purred.

“Giles!” Adeline turned and threw her arms around the messenger boy, earning a squawk of surprise out of him.

“Hello ‘ere Addie, had a lil to drink, then?” He chuckled, pulling back to smile charmingly at her.

Adeline pulled back as well, “Where were you?”

Another voice, “We were just walking around, Giles can’t keep his mouth shut.” At that Giles blushed, his lips appearing to be just slightly puffier than usual. “I’m surprised you didn’t see us, though.”

“Well, I would be glad to see you, but you left me with Valentine!” Adeline said, “Thank god, Elias found me when he did or I’d be roasted!”

“I think toasted is the correct word for this instance, actually,” Elias said, blushing madly. But before Adeline could say anything, the next song was on and she was dancing with her new engineering friend on the crowded floor of the Kensington Gardens outside grounds.

Adeline managed to snag two more drinks, though one of them had been water, and she hadn’t stopped dancing since Katherine had evaded the floor and retrieved her bird from Adeline’s protection. Still steady, stomach full with food and bubbling champagne, Adeline managed to forget about the night’s original worries as she smiled and laughed with her trio of friends.

On one of the dances, Beau had found Marquade chatting with Valentine and warmly engaged. “I’m surprised you haven’t danced with Addie yet, Beau. Who’s that fellow she’s with?” Marquade asked innocently.

“That’s Elias, a newly christened engineer. He’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t drink anything else _but_ water.”

Valentine was watching, his expression void though his eyes had a certain uncharacteristic sternness to them that would have been terrifying if you were subject to the stare.

“Addie is drinking?” Marquade sounded horrified. “But she’d never!”

Beau shrugged, smirking, “There’s a first for everything.” They watched as Addie grabbed another flute, “…or for a lot.”

The next song came on, immediately introducing itself with a quick pace. As if on cue, Adeline looked over at Beau and threw her arms in the air, mouthing, ‘it’s our song!’. Beau met her halfway, and many other pairs – mostly younger – lined up the same as the two, preparing for the first beat that would set them off in a jig.

“Ah, the Three-Step.” Valentine recognized the dance as well but hadn’t felt the need to make a comment like Marquade had. He instead began sipping at his drink, watching as Adeline and Beau danced together with such joy that he felt strokes of envy carving their way into his chest.

“You know, I’d always thought that those two would end up together. Romantically, I mean.” Marquade continued absently, eyes sparkling as he stared at his two apprentices, “They’d practically grown up together, after all. Well, that was ever since her parents had died.”

Valentine’s gaze, which hadn’t left Adeline once, flicked to Marquade for the first time. “She’s an orphan?”

“Technically she is documented under the name of Manson, but its soon to be her eighteenth birthday and she will therefore be able to care for herself then pursue her dream of being a historian.” He smiled warmly, “And she will be a fantastic historian.”

He settled his attention back on her and smiled. “I’ve no doubts about that.”


	3. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-read 'Mortal Engines' and Reeves really did Valentine dirty. One second the guy is driving swords through peoples necks and the next he's a sobbing mess. I'll try and be more consistent in this story, so he will mostly be an arrogant prick for a good chunk until I develop him more. With that said, he will still be dedicated to Kate and Crome, however Valentine is going to be the biggest force and manipulator in London and Crome won't, because I say so. That dynamic will also be developed. Also, I will be seeing the movie the day it comes out (December 14th) so I'll probably post next around then so I can beef up the next couple of chapters and also have content from the movie to work with. Can't wait for Hugo Weaving to utterly destroy my asshole.
> 
> Without further ado, here's some NSFW. Those drinks didn't help ya out there, Addie, they just made you horny.

The rest of the celebration passed in a flurry to Adeline.

Her buzz had made her complacent in her own overwhelming joy, to the point where she was laughing rather carelessly with her friends and openly chatting with new people. At the very least she seemed to retain most of her faculties, though everything about her had loosened as if the muscle controlling her tenseness had let go completely.

Then it was the last dance of the night, which marked the end to the party and the ‘proper’ time to leave for those who hadn’t already slipped out. Adeline wasn’t sure where everyone was, though she could hear their voices as she sat and nursed another drink. How many was that now?

“Are you trying to dig yourself an early grave?” She looked up sharply, facing the man whose image had imprinted itself into her mind despite her better efforts to erase it. “I’m under the impression that this is your first-time drinking, perhaps it would be prudent to have some water?”

“I’ll take my chances,” she slurred slightly, her usual malice when faced with Valentine’s presence absent. He snagged the drink from her, “Hey, what’re you doing?” She whined.

Valentine reached to grab her hand and then her hip, “I would like this dance, Adeline.”

“And if I don’t want to?” She asked flimsily as he led her to the floor.

“Rest assured,” He tugged her closer, “I will change your mind before the night is out.”

“I promised Elias this dance,” Adeline said lamely.

“I see not your engineering friend, either way I think I am owed a dance since I so graciously extended an invitation.” He smiled almost cruelly, but Adeline was drawn in to his warmth as they began to dance around the polished floor.

She was forced to look up at him this close at their sparing distance. He’d first let his hands slip from hers to drift to her waist and finally settle on her back, except unlike his previous touches this one seemed more of a question. He only let the warm firmness press into the small of her back when Adeline slipped her arms over his shoulders and let the full length of her body nestle against his.

His hands were large and warm, like two branding irons settling on her and stirring a warmth in her stomach that made her almost dizzy. The entirety of him was warm, blazing like a fire beneath his layers of clothes but still prominent as if they were skin to skin.

“Your daughter is very nice.” Adeline whispered, feeling unsteady with the silence lingering between them. She felt that if nothing was said, she would lean closer and closer until…

His lips quirked, his beard twitching as they slowly twirled in a circle, growing closer until there was no distance between them, until their faces were hardly a hair away. “Thank you, I do like to think I raised her well by myself.”

His smile seemed so genuine when he spoke about his daughter. She remembered watching them dance, thinking about how much he loved her just by the look on his face when he stared at her. She felt envy that she’d never had a memory of her own father akin to that.

Still, Adeline wanted to insult him – maybe put some distance between them, although her heart was beating so out of control she could only wonder how she’d gotten in this position in the first place. “Why did you invite me?”

“Is it so bad that I find your presence endearing?” A beat, “Intoxicating, even?”

“It’s uncharacteristic.” Adeline answered automatically.

“Uncharacteristic? You hardly know me, Ms. Finn, how would you know what’s uncharacteristic of me?”

“Exactly, we don’t… know each other, how can you find me endearing or…” Her gaze flickered down to his lips and she inadvertently wet her own, “...Or intoxicating?”

“That’s precisely why you’re such a sight.” His eyes were growing darker, like two gray pieces of stone slipping under a shadow that made them look all the more menacing. “I know so little about you, besides that you are rumored to be a fantastic apprentice, and yet you insist on treating me a certain way, as if you have this pre-determined idea of who I am. It’s quite unfair, isn’t it?” She opened her mouth in defense, but then Valentine’s face disappeared to her ear and any words were stolen from her mouth as his lips brushed her lobe. “I find the challenge refreshing, everyone treats me the same, and yet I can’t decide if I want to fulfill your conceived picture of me or utterly destroy it.”

Her body responded so expressly to his words that Adeline was frightened, she felt her stomach coil and clench like she’d been punched, and yet she didn’t hate the feeling no matter how foreign it was. When she realized she was about to lean in and connect their lips she pulled herself easily from his grasp and took a step back, stumbling.

“I think I need to go.”

She expected him to look aggravated at her sudden turn of events, but there was a slight smugness to his gaze. “So soon?”

He knew he’d gotten to her, and though she didn’t want to admit defeat Adeline felt way in over her head in Valentine’s presence. “I… I think it would be for the best, I just don’t feel so proper s’all.”

Ever the gentleman to the crowd, he offered, “Allow me to escort you, then.”

He was around her before she could protest, his body enveloping hers as he led her out onto the terrace towards the stairs. Adeline felt as if she was in a trance, her body leaning into his for support and comfort despite her initial attempt to get away from it.

“Adeline?” She struggled to a stop, Valentine’s grip still prevalent on her body as she turned to face the frowning face of Elias. She felt guilty looking at him, as if her being with Valentine was cheating the night she’d spent with Elias. “Where are you…” He gulped, noticing Valentine’s hand around her waist.

“Ms. Finn isn’t feeling so well, I thought it best if she went home.” Valentine offered tightly, a charming grin finding its way onto his lips despite the impatient way his fingers tugged at the fabric on her hips.

“Oh, surely I can do that?” At Valentine’s hardening gaze, Elias spluttered to defend himself, “I just mean with it being your daughter’s birthday celebration, is all.”

“I can assure you I have everything in accordance, Mister…”

Elias seemed to collapse on himself when he realized he’d put himself straight in the line of fire, “Reh.. Reynold, sir.”

“Mr. Reynold, then. Don’t fret, your friend is in good hands. I will just be returning her to her dorms, as for my daughter – I believe it is none of your concern what I do with _my_ time, is it?”

Adeline almost wanted to feel frightened for Elias, but instead she felt a bolt of heat run down her spine as she recognized that tone of voice Valentine used. He’d done a similar thing in the library, though now she realized he seemed much more serious and she wondered what he looked like unhinged.

Her stomach twisted until her thighs rubbed together in an attempt to console herself, she smiled at Elias as he struggled for words. “I’ll be fine, Elias. Tell Beau I’ve gone, will you?” She placed her hand over Valentine’s in an attempt to placate him, not realizing the intimate implications. “I’ll see you soon?”

She received only a small, hurried nod in response before Valentine was pulling her down the staircase. They were heading towards a sleek black buggy, and she recognized the same chauffer as before waiting outside. He opened the door and Valentine helped Adeline climb in before going around to the other side.

The driver’s voice hardly carried to her ears, nor did Valentine’s response. She felt as if a blanket had been pulled over her consciousness and it was only shaken when he took her hand in his. He was so warm, and Adeline felt a shiver run down the entirety of her body. She felt disgustingly cold, and she yearned to feel his warmth against her again.

But she also wanted to be angry at him. Despite having a good night, she felt as if she should be furious, especially with the way he’d treated her new friend. But all she said was, “You didn’t have to frighten him like that. Elias is harmless.”

“It wasn’t my intention to frighten your new _friend_ ,” he hissed the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth, “Alas I think he is just frightened easily.”

His thumb was stroking softly against the skin of her hand, the pads of his fingers calloused but still kind. “You’re intimidating. On purpose.”

“Mere collateral of my presence,” he says lowly as he brings her hand up to his lips, “I assure you.”

Distantly Adeline recognized he’s probably trying to seduce her, but she narrowly sees a viable option in which she can deny his attempts. The feelings running amuck inside her stomach are too pleasant, and the prickle of his beard and brush of his lips on her skin is too enchanting to ignore with alcohol twisting her mind.

“You tried to frighten me.”

“Tried?” He kissed the inside of her wrist. “If I wanted to frighten you, I would’ve. That day in the library was a test.”

“Is now a test, too?”

His other hand breached the decreasing distance between them, until his hand was tracing patterns on her knee and drifting up. Valentine murmured against her wrist, “Now is… whatever you choose it to be.”

“I feel like an experiment,” Adeline said breathlessly, looking into his eyes as his eyebrow arched.

“An experiment?” He chuckled, ghosting his lips against her knuckles. “Leave it to you, Adeline Finn, to twist my every word,” A beat, another kiss, “And action.”

His voice had a husky quality to it, and she felt him growing closer. The hand that was on her knee was well past her thigh, though it never strayed past the clothing. He reverently touched her hip, drifted his finger up her ribs and then curved the path along the outer rim of her breast, languishing in the delicate exhale he received as a result. His touches weren’t prying or harsh, just small haunting things that left her wanting for something solid.

“I’m not trying…” she gulped, heat rushing everywhere through her as she arched into him. “I feel like a hobby, a piece to fill your time with because you’re bored…”

“Bored…” He let Adeline’s hand fall, but this time with the proximity it now lay on his thigh. Valentine leaned closer, one hand once more playing with the material at her waist while the other gently cupped her jaw. “Never a dull moment with you, is there? Will I ever _please_ you?”

Silence stretched around them, his words poised as snakes that had coiled around her – bait waiting for the bite before it would sink and pull her under. The question lingered, still, waiting as it tugged on the string between them. His nose, large and strong, brushing hers teasingly; a hint of what was to come if she just gave in.

“I’m not supposed to like you,” Addie whispered suddenly, her voice low as she ran her hand over his own, cupping her jaw.

The buggy jostled with movement and Valentine drew back minimally to look at her, “Some attractions are inevitable.”

“But I want to feel angry at you. _I do_.” Her touch was curious on his hand, tugging it down from her face so her own could travel freely up his arm. he felt his body tense at her sudden initiative, though her touch never traveled past his elbow. “But I’m so cold, and you, you’re…”

Valentine stopped talking as she slid the idle hand from his lap up his arm, her other wandering touch traveling to meet it on his chest, then going up to his top button and pulling it loose. Heat radiated beneath her fingertips as she dipped her hands over the exposed part of his chest, then up his neck until her fingers cupped the nape and slipped into the long, silky locks of his hanging hair. She tugged on a few strands, not noticing how his eyes dilated or his nostrils flared as the breath was expelled suddenly from his chest.

Ever since she’d first seen him, she’d wondered what his hair would feel like, and it was better than she could’ve imagined. Her breathing was loud as she leaned forward until they were so close, like they were dancing again. Adeline’s eyes followed her finger that trailed from the nape of his neck to the front, dancing over the chin and then running down the veins and once more onto his chest. His eyes followed hers, black as the night around them as she was pulled closer and closer as if by some magnet.

“You’re so _warm_ ,” she whispered against his lips, and then she was pressing hers to his and relishing in their softness, and in the way his beard tickled around her face as she pressed deeper. Her breasts were pushed up against his chest, her arms wrapped around his form so her hands could find his hair again. His hands, sensual as they were on her hand and wrist, were made for her mouth.

He responded evenly, but instead of increasing the pace like she’d expected – like she’d hoped – he languidly slid his lips over hers, only mixing his tongue into the equation when she poked her own at his lips. His hands both came onto her hips, but the touch was slow and soft like he was trying to massage out the tension he was causing within her.

Valentine seemed to be the perfect picture of patience now that she’d bent to him. His mouth never too claiming despite the obvious confidence behind every swipe, behind every touch on her that left her gasping, wanting for more. Adeline felt like she was swimming in uncharted waters and was slowly feeding herself to the sharks, but she could hardly care when being eaten felt like _this_. Felt like pure heaven in her loins, filled the gap of frost with a blazing fire that she had never known before besides in small glimpses between the pages of forbidden books.

Adeline wasn’t content with his softness right now. She’d expected a battle but instead was receiving an attentive lover, as if he _actually_ cared about her. In her fervor she pushed him back so he sat upright against the seat and then followed him, throwing her leg over his thigh so she straddled him: legs framing his thighs on either side. Emblazoned by the alcohol running in her system, Adeline rolled her hips downwards and nipped at his lip.

His gasp was electrifying, and she let his lip loose as he pulled back and kept her steadfast against him. “Addie,” he murmured warningly into her hair. She smiled, dipping her head to his neck as she kissed along the underside of his chin and then to the juncture of bare chest at the base of his neck where it met his shoulder. She suckled on a patch of skin experimentally, unsure of what to do but bolder in her actions as he sighed unevenly beneath her.

His hands were warm along her thighs, bare since her dress had hiked up all the way over her hips from the movements, squeezing the pliant flesh and pulling down as his own hips hiked upwards into the pocket of friction. Adeline hissed into his neck, pulling back again and pushing forward and down onto him to meet the subtle roll of his pelvis. “Thaddeus,” she kissed him, hoping her movements would have stoked some frenzy inside him but found that he still seemed in control despite the stutter in his thrusts.

Adeline tugged on his hair when he guided her face to his and ran his tongue along hers, lips soft but pressed tightly against hers until he bit down, relinquished his hold, kissed her, bit, and then kissed until there was blood.

Now his face was in her neck, pressing kisses and sucking along the column of her throat, his hand splayed on her back as the other traveled farther south until it was over the thin slip of her panties. He rubbed her through it then pressed upwards, rolled, and then pressed again until he found the little spot that made her gasp. Valentine pinched it between his fingers, smirking into her bruised neck at the sound and then the small yelp of surprise when he bit her tamely.

“Do you still feel like a hobby, Addie?” He asked gruffly, rolling her nub harder.

She tried to moan, but in the next second his mouth was back on hers as he began to rub particularly hard on her clit. Adeline was panting into his mouth, her hands on his shoulders as she tried to push down and snap that tightening feeling spreading so deep inside her that she felt like she might burst from the overwhelming sensations.

“Do you want Pewsey to hear us, Addie?” He whispered, pressing hard on her nub and then alternating between long strokes along the panty-line and then teasing touches on the prized spot. Distantly Adeline recognized that Pewsey must be the driver, but then he teased his middle finger at her entrance and rubbed his thumb methodically and she forgot all about being quiet. A groan began, but then his hand was over her mouth. “Hush, love.” He said endearingly.

“More,” she pleaded, voice akin to a whimper even muffled. “I want more.” She accentuated the point by pressing as hard into him as she possibly could, but though he shuttered he didn’t bite for the bait. She gripped the fabric of his coat until it curled between the gaps of her fingers.

“Shh, Addie.” He rubbed her harder and more consistently, until she could hardly do anything but pant, let alone form anything coherent beyond her broken ‘Yes’ and ‘Please’s.

He released her mouth, hand going to her back and gripping hard at the curve of her ass. His middle finger was no longer at her entrance, replaced with the hard fabric of his own desire that grated up into her. Valentine’s fingers still worked over her clit, but now he was working into her with a tease of what she could receive.

“You never answered my question,” he rasped gutturally with a particularly vicious snap upwards of his hips. “ _Will I ever please you?_ ”

She whimpered, and when he felt the friction in his own crotch becoming too hard to bear as her legs twitched dangerously against his, he covered her mouth with his own as he pinched madly at her nub. “Thaddeus, oh, Quirke…” She pushed down, her body shaking at the foreign feeling building inside her. She never wanted it to stop. Never wanted him to stop.

“That’s not an answer, Addie.” He growled, working at her jaw with his lips.

“Yes, _oh_ … yes, Quirke, _Thaddeus_!” She chased the feeling, rubbing down onto him and pulling him closer, “Come on, _come on_.”

“Much better,” Valentine purred, chuckling gruffly as he nuzzled her neck and inhaled her scent and the feeling of her body on his. He himself was drawing closer to that precipice of desire, and he imagined how wonderful she would feel if he was actually inside her and not reduced to rutting in the back seat of a bug. Thankfully, Pewsey knew to keep quiet and Valentine was eager to play odds even if it meant waiting. For now this would have to do.

She pressed down and mumbled incoherently more, her wetness seeping into the fabric of his trousers. Later maybe he’d mourn them, but the inside was no less clean as beads of pre-cum began to seep their way out of the head. He was tempted to forego his initial scheme and just fuck her right here, but he was also a man of principle when it came to small battles such as this. For one he would not have his prize here, and secondly he would want no threat of her forgetting.

“Thaddeus, please,” she hissed, “ _please_.”

She wasn’t inebriated enough to be anything more than loosened, and that – along with cleverly planning his jabs – was why he had her in this precarious position: above him, on him, and still trying to get closer.

He needed to be sure there was no way she’d forget this, forget what he could do to her. Losing some of his bearings, Valentine met her hip to hip and jarred his groin into hers, bone grating against bone as their warm centers met for relief. He rubbed furiously at her clit and the buildup became so intense Adeline was unsure of anything but the coil tightening further and further within her. She whined and tried to keep up.

Valentine’s ear was close to her neck, and he sucked her earlobe between her teeth before snarling. “You may hate me now, but you’ll love every second of it.”

Then it exploded inside her like fireworks, sending a shock throughout her limbs until she could only shake against him. She keened on top of him, and the sound of his name tugged a deep groan from his lips that pushed him to follow her and empty himself into his trousers like a teenage boy.

The atmosphere softened, and though Valentine felt embarrassed that she’d managed to pull an orgasm out of him merely by reaching her own still fully clothed. She’d snapped his control, if only slightly. But it was enough, and he was appeased to know she was none the wiser of his situation.

“Yes, that’s right, love,” He whispered breathlessly, kissing her cheek and her chin and her jawline. “Ride it out.”

She slumped down into him as the shocks rocked through her, her arms clutching his shoulders so tightly she was sure he would have bruises there the next day.

Adeline’s breath came in tufts for the next minute as she lay against him, spent although the fire in her loins seemed persistent still. She’d never experienced something like that, something so sinfully perfect that it seemed almost unbelievable. She’d been kissed before, sloppily and years ago, she’d had moments of silent curiosity in her room where she tried to stave the fire by herself, but now she felt as if her own hand was useless when she knew he could make her feel this way.

She didn’t think much of it, her mind giddy with the feeling and content to bask in his warmth. Adeline was splayed over him, aware of the stickiness on her thighs and the hardness that persisted between them but not paying much mind to any of it. She hummed contentedly, half-noticing some rustling movement, but her eyes felt so heavy as she was picked up and brought inside somewhere. She heard creaky steps, her eyes cracked open and she faced a familiar room – her own single dorm in the second-class apprentice house.

Adeline was startled at the cold loneliness in her bed when he set her down, she grappled for his wrist. “Stay, it’s so cold.”

“I can’t do that, darling.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before smoothing her hair back. “I think you will feel differently of me in the morning.”

“Is that why you didn’t give me more?”

The question was poised with such innocent honesty that he was taken aback. While she had gotten some of what she’d desired, his libido was still mostly unfulfilled. Valentine knew staving off the wait for a later time would be better, besides the fact that she was drunk off her mind. He had told himself he would truly finish himself off later, a privilege he couldn’t afford if he stayed the night. Also, her dorms were quite small, and he assumed the walls were thin as well. Logically, Katherine would also notice his absence promptly in the morning.

“Go to sleep, Addie.” He took the hand on his wrist and kissed it, attempting to untangle himself from her grasp.

“How about we trade?” She said suddenly, sounding sleepy.

“Trade?” He echoed.

“I’m cold, my bed is… cold.” She tugged his sleeve, “I want your jacket.”

“For?”

She didn’t answer, she just let go and then lifted her hips and wiggled them, then kicked her foot up and then handed a small bundle of clothing over. It was damp, moistened with something that reflected in the slight moonlight coming in from the window when he unfurled it. He recognized the soft, thin material as the panties he’d rubbed so fervently not five minutes ago.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” she said wearily, “maybe that’ll help.”

When Valentine walked out to the buggy, Pewsey noticed he was without his long red coat and was clenching his fist so hard that it appeared white even in the dead of the night.

With her token of ‘help’, later couldn’t come soon enough.


	4. Conspiring Forces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for so long of an update. There's not much interaction between Valentine and Adeline, but the next chapter will make up for it. This guy is a long one with lots of important plot-building happening. Don't skip over it!  
> Again, thanks for your patience. I'm far from abandoning this story :)
> 
> Introducing new characters: Armitage Manning and everyone's least favorite historian, Herbert Millicent,

Adeline woke to her window open, the sound of birds chirping and the sun staring lovingly at the floor or her dorm. Her head was swimming in pain, her stomach empty but cramping all the same. It was like every single part of her brain had been scooped out and replaced with knives and cotton, and every movement jostled them to the point where the knives began sticking.

The light came at her in a flurry of needles. Adeline clamped her eyes shut and hid deeper in the warm covers around her, groaning as she brought her hands up to cup her face and her head for extra protection. It was drumming so loudly _, Great Quirke_ , and it felt like she was a ticking time bomb about to explode. _Five, four, three, two -_

“Ah, you’re finally up.”

Vaguely she recognized Beau’s voice, and she tried to speak but her throat was dry and rocky. “Can you… window,” she rasped, “Please close it.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” The room became considerably cooler in the darkness, hardly any light present as she withdrew from the covers and slowly leaned up to press her back to the headboard of her twin mattress. “Here, I brought you some water.”

Adeline took the proffered glass and began drinking greedily, only stopping when she realized if she continued at this pace that she was going to make her stomach sicker than it already was, if possible. At least now some of the nausea had disappeared, and her mouth no longer felt like sandy gravel. “Thanks, you’re a life saver.” she yawned, rubbing her eyes, “How’d you get in, anyways?”

Beau jabbed his thumb towards the draped square she’d complained about earlier, “Window.”

She managed a dry laugh, but it turned into a cough and then a groan as her head started pounding more. “Ow… oh, I think I need…”

“Let’s start with a shower,” Beau suggested, whipping out a towel that Adeline had somehow missed was hanging on his arm - she blamed her current state - and took it with a hardly intelligible ‘thanks’. “I’ll be here, waiting.”

“Don’t let Cho catch you,” she managed. His response was muffled by the door shutting as she went to the dorm shower, hand trailing along the wall for a bit of steady guidance. When she got to the washroom she stripped, hanging up the jacket, dress, and bra on the pegs and then the towel. Beau had even managed to fold a new outfit in there for her, so she hung that up too and then got in.

The water was already hot, and as it ran across Adeline’s bare skin the night came flooding back in a wave of spurting, hot water. Snippets of conversations, Elias, avoiding Valentine, meeting Valentine’s daughter, dancing with him, and then…

Adeline stumbled a bit in the closed off space, the hot water scorching her skin and reminding her of every touch she’d shared last night. Her memory wasn’t completely wiped, despite being an amateur in the art of holding her alcohol - she hadn’t been ‘gone’ enough for it to all just slip away the next day. Though part of her wished maybe it had.

Her hand drifted down her stomach and past, she felt curiously at the spots that were now slightly sore but still burning incessantly. Her mind was spinning, pain forgotten as she panicked over what had transpired and the fact that she’d gone as far as to like it. That she’d wanted more, that what he’d given her wasn’t enough. In her tumult of emotion she ripped open the curtain to peak out. No underwear and a coat that wasn’t hers, the soft burgundy fabric familiar and its scent permeating her memories as she’d drifted off and in to the same smell last night and this morning.

That specific jacket had smelled like cologne, but the heat was starting to get to her again as she replayed what had transpired last night, not remembering how but recalling the feeling of the coil deep inside her. Adeline’s hand shot forward to turn the lever to cold, relishing in the swift switch in temperature as the water reigned cool around her burning body.

She hadn’t been in the right mind, but she hadn’t been completely wasted either. Of course that didn’t make his actions righteous, wasn’t she too young anyways? But he hadn’t done anything she hadn’t asked for, and certainly nothing she hadn’t liked.

“Bloody hell,” She rested her head against the tiles, “Oh, I’ve really done it this time, haven’t I?”

The memory came back, of her asking for more but him saying something akin to… he’d said no. _He’d said no_ , because he _knew_ she wasn’t in the right mind, and he’d brought her back to her bed and laid her down… given her his coat in exchange for her panties. The conversation escaped her, but she was sure she’d been the one to initiate it, and it made her sick with embarrassment and shame.

Her hands skidded down her sides to her hips and legs, where small finger and hand-shaped markings could faintly be seen in the form of slightly discolored skin. Her mind slowly drifted back to last night, and to the pleassant feeling of his firm and kind hands grasping her to pull her closer to where they met. Adeline’s fingers pressed on those areas, and the tenderness flared into heat until she gasped under the realization of what she was doing.

The cold wash wasn’t helping enough to quell her, so Adeline skipped through the rest of the process and toweled herself before dressing, staring accusingly at the coat in her arms before catching a glimpse in the mirror. Her shirt was open at the neck, slightly damp in the places where her hair hung low against the fabric and dropped steadily. Peeking from the column of her neck was an angry red and purple mark, darker in some places but irritated all around. Adeline rushed forward in shock, moving her hair back to frantically take a better look at the spot.

“Bugger, oh bloody hell.” She traced it, feeling small ridges and indents in the skin, probably from teeth. She cursed more to herself, how was she going to hide this from Beau?

Adeline tied up the rest of her shirt and pulled her hair down around her face until she thought of something, then she quickly went back to her room and tried to ignore the bubbling panic of sickness swelling inside her.

“Feel better?” Beau asked. She replied with a short ‘yes’ and then busied herself with dropping the clothes and searching through her drawers for something else. “Addie, what’re you - oh, a scarf?”

“Neck’s cold,” she said as she wrapped it around her, even going as far to don a coat. “Do we have enough time for breakfast?”

Beau’s eye quirked, and Adeline noticed he was also wearing a scarf. “It’s two o’clock, Addie.”

“Two o’clock…” The thought clicked. “Quirke! I missed class!” She hurried to get her socks and boots on, mumbling at her cursed luck as of late. “Books, notebook – I need my satchel and – “

“What’re you doing? You need to eat.”

“No. I need to _go_.”

“It’s been over for an hour and a half now, Pomeroy is probably off sorting through what manuscripts will be in the public record by now.” She huffed, ignoring him as she laced up her shoes, “Class was boring, anyways. We just reviewed more old-tech by disassembling it, and with the amount of engineering books you and I’ve been sorting through we could be first class engineers by now!”

“That’s not the point, though. It’s disrespectful of me to just skip because I was incapable of being in control of myself last night.” She sighed, rubbing her hand over her face before going to put her hair up, “Quirke, I can be such a daft idiot sometimes. Remind me never to drink that much ever again.”

“In our defense, we tried to stop you. But, at least it was fun while it lasted,” Beau prompted with a smile.

“For you, maybe!” She huffed, “I feel as if I’ve been run over by London twice over!”

He simpered teasingly, “And whose fault is that?”

“Entirely yours! You left me – the person who didn’t want to go to the party – all by herself. I had to fend off unwanted men left and right!” Even with a genuine, albeit tired, smile on her face she managed to think blithely, _not successfully at that._

“Fend them off, ey?” Beau shook his head as he snickered, “Well thank Quirke Elias was there, at least. He was your knight in shining armor – de facto me in my absence.”

“Indeed, when I think of you I commonly think of my knight in shining armor. How do I live without you?” She brought her hand to her head, swaying dramatically but quickly regretting the movement at the sickness it brought. “Ah, that hurt.”

Adeline closed her eyes, but then her hand was wrenched open and something cold and slightly damp was put in her palm. She cracked an eye open, watching as Beau comically wrapped her fingers around the yellowing red apple and then winked. “Eat up, if you’re going to make a trip to the museum its going to have to be on foot and you’ll need sustenance for that.” She sniffed in question as she bit into the apple, “There’s a catch on the horizon, stations are all backed up because they shut down power to redirect it for the chase.”

“Well,” Adeline said between bites of the apple, “I suppose I’ll make myself scarce. You should too, my knight.”

“At least one of us thought to bring food for the sickly lass on her death bed.”

“Again, what would I do without you?” She smiled, took another bite, and opened the door. “Now scat.”

“Wait,” Beau cried, “Aren’t you going to help me sneak out?”

“You came in the window, didn’t you? Leaving should be easier, now.” She smirked, winking back as an echo of his earlier smugness before shutting her room behind her. He could always follow her lead and exit, but that meant facing the possibility of the dorm’s self-proclaimed overlooker: Cho Fox. Beau would lose any brownie points his flirting had gained him if he was caught coming from Adeline’s room, excuses or not. Still, she heard a barely audible ‘Wait’, to which her single reply was. “Window.” Also probably muffled by the door.

Adeline left the dorm without having to converse beyond muted greetings behind mouthfuls of apple, and then she was out in the bright daylight on the streets of London.

Every corner was busy and bursting with excitement, each person running to the edge in hopes of glimpsing what Adeline assumed given what Beau had told her was another soon-to-be catch. It was one form of excitement that Adeline didn’t share across the board like the rest of the Londoners, though she always had fun looking at the upper-class trying to run in their heels or their collage of colors as they crowded together.

It made going up a lot harder than usual, since everyone was trying to come down in a hustle. At the very least the likelihood of her getting hit by a car had decreased to the point where she could run freely across the street, which meant more short-cuts and a clearer path to the Museum.

Usually she’d take the elevator from the historian dorm center up, but it was usually rather cranky around this time of day and with most of London’s power targeted towards a catch it probably would move slower than by foot. However, Adeline had forgotten to consider that there was no food in her stomach, just a bit of water and a clot of sickness that had begun migrating up into her head until it was throbbing again.

She stuttered to a stop, grabbing the nearest sturdy piece – a light pole – and let it steady her as a wave of dizziness washed over. She managed to stand up straighter, a gust of cold wind brushing over her face and into her damp, twisted hair. A sign across the way found her sights, and back stared a poster-sized sign displaying Valentine with a golden telescope in his hand, the entirety of London displayed behind him and the words **“THADDEUS VALENTINE, POWERING LONDON’S FUTURE”** captioned on the bottom.

“Great Quirke,” she murmured to herself, _I can’t escape him._

Today was really just shit. Adeline looked back up at the poster and amended herself: this week was just utterly shit.

She continued on, making sure to avoid looking at any signs, posters, or images that held any resemblance to Valentine. It was over twenty minutes later from when she left that she finally reached the doors of the museum, and the terrible feeling inside her mixed with anxiousness had her shaking a bit.

Pomeroy wasn’t intimidating by any means, he was strict but resourceful – passionate, well-respected but not…. Well, not Valentine. She wasn’t so comfortable around him as she was Marquade, but Adeline always enjoyed his lessons the most, especially when he began talking about the rise and fall of ancient world empires.

Adeline heaved open the doors, almost immediately running into an unsuspecting Clytie Potts. “Apologies, Clytie! Have you seen Doctor Pomeroy anywhere?” The museum shook dangerously for a second, but they both remained steadily on their feet, “I have a question for him.”

“Should jus’ be right ‘round the corner, Adeline. He’s busy lockin’ up some of the ceramic pieces we had moved in from the North America exhibit.”

Clytie herself was trying to steady some pieces just brought in, unmarked besides who’d discovered them. Adeline thanked her before scurrying around the corner, finding the rather tall and imposing figure hunched over with his hands trying to secure a piece far too big for one person. Even him. In an instant she was at his side, offering relief with a smile.

“Ms. Finn, thank you.” He seemed too worried to remember to smile, though the shock on his face was inherent. “I would say your timing is impeccable, however that wouldn’t necessarily be accurate all around.”

“Actually, doctor, that’s what I came here about…” She went to continue, but her voice was drowned out as the building was subject to more hefty vibrations that rattled every delicate thing in their places.

“Damn these bloody catches, they’re absolutely insatiable.” He huffed, eyes looking around behind the thin frames of his glasses. “What were you saying, Adeline?”

“Well, I wanted to…” She raised her voice to drown out the rattling, “I wanted to apologize for missing class earlier,” the sounds began simmering, so she lowered her voice. “I… it was disrespectful of me, and quite –“

“Uncharacteristic,” he supplied. “Perhaps next time control would be wiser?” Adeline blushed, unsure of what to say but not keen on fishing for excuses. “The walls have eyes and ears, best be careful next time you choose to indulge yourself. However, I hope last night taught you a lesson?”

“I would’ve much rather missed that lesson, but yes – I find myself quite more aware of how to deal with myself in those sorts of, uh, situations.”

Pomeroy smiled kindly, “Sometimes experience is the best teacher. Either way, I’ve no doubts that it won’t happen again. Will you help me with this?” Adeline shuffled over to his side, hoisting her under arms under the figure to push it back up and onto the shelf. It was a stone/ceramic mix carved and corroded into the shape of a Sphinx, a symbol from the ancients that represented Paradox and Riddles. “Did you need anything else?”

She stumbled over her words a bit, “I was… I mean, is that all?”

He quirked a brow, allowing her the majority of the weight as he applied the hooks to the base of the mini-caricature. “Do you want me to dole out a punishment?”

“Oh, no – not, that’s not what I meant.” She laughed sheepishly, “I just mean, I just wanted to know if there was any way I could make it up to you.” She felt terrible again, her head was rolling in on itself and she could hardly string together words in the face of a man whom she truly, undoubtedly admired for his passion.

“You were planning on taking your next exam to be promoted to first class apprentice, weren’t you?” He helped her push it all the way back, the rest of the hooks snapping into place as the building shook and more cheers managed to permeate through the museum’s walls. When she nodded, mouth dry, he echoed her action with a nod of his own. “Good. You can take that and pass, then you will have repaid me. Also, taking a few shifts on the museum floor couldn’t hurt, Herbert has been getting a few complaints because he flirts and dallies more than he explains.”

“Of course. I need to equate myself more with some of the new exhibits on the floor, anyways. I’m sure some refreshing of my own can’t hurt.” She smiled, pleased with the outcome but suddenly very aware of how empty her stomach was. The growl it made was covered by another rattle and shake, then the crowd roared and Pomeroy and her were both sure that London had secured another successful victim. When the noise died down she brushed herself off a bit, feeling anxious with idle hands. “When do you think I’ll be taking it?”

“Two days.” Pomeroy said simply.

“Two days?” She repeated, coughing as the words were caught in a knot in her throat.

“I’m sure you’re more than capable to take it now, but I think two days will be ample time for a full recovery.” He gestured to her, and Adeline realized that not only did she feel terrible, but she probably looked terrible as well. It roused a blush out of her. “It will also be just enough time for me to arrange the changes when you pass; the usual – switching dorms, new tags, new patches, a new schedule, etcetera etcetera.”

“Of course, sir. Doctor - I mean doctor.” He chuckled at her flustered appearance, “I… thank you, really. Thank you.”

Adeline was sure that was her dismissal, so she made for the archway that led into the central museum. It was shaking a lot less now, but the vibrations made the wooden cases grate uncomfortably loud against the granite floor. It smelled like sour citrus, _odd, usually the museum smells more like dust and shabby cleaner._

“Ah, Ms. Finn, ironic that I should run into you right now.” At the sound of the rattling voice, the odd scent suddenly made so much more sense.

“Herbert Millicent, what a pleasant surprise.” Adeline turned to look at him, the grimace on her face anything but pleasant. “Your perfume is more pungent than usual today.”

“It’s cologne, actually. The expensive kind.” Herbert smiled two full rows of shining, white teeth, the smugness behind them glaring. “I overheard Pomeroy’s discussion with you –“

“I believe that’s called eavesdropping, actually.”

“ – And I couldn’t help but disagree that missing lesson should merit no punishment. Pomeroy must be slipping if he’s agreeable to show favoritism.”

“As if you don’t thrive off favoritism,” Adeline paused in mock contemplation, “Correction: you thrive off your parent’s checkbook.”

“Something you can’t relate to, I’m sure.” She wasn’t sure which part he meant – the fact that her parents were dead, or that when they had been alive they were dead poor. He wasn’t smart or clever enough to mean both. At her silent frown his dimples puckered in triumph, “Well, then. As I was saying – new catch, I’m sure you heard, which means a few Historians are expected to make their way down to the Gut for a bit of sorting.” His grin seemed to grow wider as her frown sunk deeper, “I think it’ll be the perfect thing to prepare you for your promotion.”

_Perfect thing? Are you serious?_ Her lips parted but none of the words came out. Adeline had totally been thrown on the back foot; typically she could’ve suspected this sort of thing, but her headache must’ve sapped any common-sense and replaced it with cotton. “If it’s already been caught, there’s no way I can get down there in time to get anything but scraps.” Every hour was rush hour in the London sub-system, but it didn’t make her situation any less severe. By the time she got down into the Gut the catch would be processed and anything she was expected to salvage would be eaten by the machine for fuel.

“Don’t free, Miss Finn,” he chastised ribaldly, “I’ve a silver Tier-One pass, we can get down there in no time. I’m sure it’ll be the quickest trip of your life.”

If he expected her to be thankful, she wasn’t and certainly didn’t attempt to vocalize it. Even if she despised Herbert on every level and held no respect for him, his title wielded weight she couldn’t ignore for just two more days. By then she hoped to either graduate or create some malicious plot that would get him debunked to a second-class apprentice again. That thought carried her over the ride into the gut, in which Herbert had contented himself with idly chatting to Adeline, though it was rather apparent she’d stopped listening.

He'd managed to bypass the both of them to the front of the line, the next elevator cranking closed as the two historians slipped in with the others of the crowd. All of them got off on levels before the gut, one particularly shifty man escaping on just two floors above – a place notoriously known for less than respectable pastimes. Adeline didn’t care enough to let her imagination run on, the lift had already grated to a stop and the tell-tale signs of the Gut wrenched her back to the present. It was always hotter down here, more crude in appearance of structure with the rusting pillars like wrinkles of old age. It smelled like oil and grease, not unfamiliar but certainly rare and pungent enough to rise a forwardness in her that forced her to sniff uncomfortably. It certainly wasn’t kind to her headache.

Crowds thinned out as they got treacherously closer to the heart of the gut, where the catch would be torn apart and the new additions huddled together before addressed by someone. As customary, she’d done it many times before but never once desired to go back even if the catch was particularly shiny.

A hand came between her shoulder blades, propelling her forward. “Go on, young apprentice,” Herbert said smarmily, smirking. “I’ll be around, make sure you nab me something worthwhile!”

Briefly Adeline wondered how many other apprentices Herbert had coerced into his dirty work, but it didn’t matter who else was – now it was her, and she was going to do it properly. She wouldn’t allow piece of valuable historic rates to be forced to smithereens and turned to fuel for London’s treading.

Adeline settled to relieve herself of her jacket, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater and keenly aware that her choice of clothes was not fit for a day in the gut. She couldn’t undo the knot of her scarf, either, afraid that someone by any miniscule chance would notice the damage from last night. Instead she chose to knot it further, hoping that the hand-knit fabric would allow for circulation even if it was meant to retain warmth.

“Adeline is that you?” A voice called. She turned pathetically slowly, facing a rather short and lithe figure with blazing red hair. “Great Quirke, it is! What’re you doing down here?”

“Armitage,” Adeline greeted, smiling despite the way a tick of pain ran up her jaw into her temple. “An act of ill will on my even more ill timing, I think. Herbert saw to that.” She leaned casually on the pillar closest to her, hoping it wouldn’t rub off any dangerous amounts of grease that could ruin the fabric. It was nice to have a familiar face, even if she didn’t see Armitage all that often. He was a specialist historian, working kindly between two fields as a third-class apprentice; most likely to collect first hand information on the other guilds. If Adeline recalled correctly, bleary as her memory served, he worked closely with the Merchant guild and the textile industry. She knew him more from his participation in the yearly Guild Wars, as he was often the sole supplier of information for merchants. “What about you? You’re too quiet to get into any trouble with your superiors, Armie. Or too clever to get caught.”

His cheeks flushed slightly as he flashed her a somewhat conniving grin. “Ah, well about that… actually, the truth is I lost a bet with Corduroy and had to take what he doled, so here I am.”

Her head rocked slightly with a breathless smile, “When my headache’s gone, I’ll want to know what the bet is.”

He looks like he’s about to say something, but suddenly stops. Armie stands a little straighter and his eyes lock on something over her shoulder. Dumbly, Adeline almost questions what he’s looking so intently at when the new presence speaks.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your rendezvous, but as mere apprentices this little chat is rather neglectful to your duties.” Adeline turns, unsure herself of how to react as she faces the withering smile of Thaddeus Valentine. Just earlier today she saw him on posters, yesterday she acquainted herself with him far more intimately than appropriate, and now he looked at her with the aloofness of a stranger. “Especially you, Ms. Finn - after neglecting your duties as a student, being attentive now is the least you can offer, don’t you think?”

He looked just the same as the man standing at the bottom of the stairs in the library, no longer dressed for a special occasion and not even bothering to don a deceivingly warm smile. Everything about him was icy, and had Adeline been in any better state of mind she probably would’ve been apprehensive. Maybe scared, even.

But she wasn’t.

“No, sir,” the pain in her too-sweet smile made her grit her teeth together, “Apologies.”

“Apologies mean nothing if there’s nothing done to amend them, Ms. Finn. Don’t let this catch go to waste.”

“Of course not,” her smile seemed to creak under the weight of her anger, “Sir.”

If he noticed her tone of voice, he didn’t let it show. Valentine merely raised his hand and let it flutter in a mocking gesture like he was shooing a dog. “Go on, then.”

Armie had already shuffled to work past Valentine, but Adeline offered one more charged stare before brushing past. Some part of her, buried beneath all her contempt and rage, almost prayed that he’d reach out and hold her back to say something – enlighten her with some bit of clarity. But he did nothing, and she was equally grateful because she wouldn’t know what she would’ve done if that had happened.

“Aresehole,” Adeline murmured to herself, forcing her every thought clear of the confusion he inflicted. She wouldn’t think of how warm he’d been touching her last night, how warm she was still for him when he treated her like scum. She should’ve expected this, but she wouldn’t think of it anymore.

Armie looked at her like he was about to question what had just transpired, but he left her side so quickly her fear didn’t have enough time to be realized.

“You ignoramus, _that’s_ _not junk to fuel the machine_!”

Adeline turned as quickly as she could without causing unnecessary nausea to discover that some of the sweaty, greased gut workers tried to pry Armie off of a crate of metal, but the red-headed historian was indignant and pulled back despite the obvious disparity of strength. She moved to his rescue, allowing the new task to sharpen her focus. “Armie what seems to be the issue?”

“This Gut-Head seems to think that a heat box in nearly perfect condition is worthy to be trashed for fuel because we ‘delayed his work’.” Armie’s lips drew back in a half snarl, “Which is utterly daft thinking!”

Despite Armie’s sinewy arms and assumed quickness, Adeline was sure that anyone in the Gut could take him from the sheer endurance of physicality involved in their daily work. That alone was a sight she didn’t want to see or have to deal with, and since it was so hot down here a short fuse was the most dangerous thing with sparks flying so near. Adeline smiled nervously, knowing she needed to diffuse the situation. And quick.

“Armie,” Adeline warned, placing a placating hand on his shoulder. “We don’t need any trouble, its true we have wasted some of his time by not searching efficiently, but if you give us a couple minutes we’ll be out of your hair in no time.” She noticed the greasy Gut-worker didn’t actually have any hair, but she didn’t move to amend herself out of fear of making the mistake more noticeable. “Please.”

Thankfully Armie didn’t say anything, though Adeline’s tightening grip probably helped distract him. The Gut-worker looked between the two, face still taut with anger before grunting. “Five minutes s’all you get.”

“Thanks, that’s all we need.”

He trudged away, feet clomping loudly as he went. When finally, he was out of earshot Armie sniffed, “Nasty bugger. All this heat kills their common sense.”

“If they had any in the first place,” They shared a smile as Adeline hoisted the heat box from his arms. “Try not to get into anymore fights, yeah? I’m too tired to have to carry your body all the way up to the Medic.”

“I make no promises, trouble seems to find me.”

“Well, unfortunately these artifacts won’t find themselves. So try to ward off the trouble for a bit and lend me a hand, would you?”

“What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn’t assist a lady in need?”

“A not very gentlemanly one I suppose, though sometimes –“ Adeline bent down into the tankard, brushing through the metal with her already dirtied hands, “- I feel quite less than a lady.”

“Being a lady isn’t a requirement for a historian, just a luxury,” Armie said as he dug in, trying to throw most of the scrap to the front so they could make a manageable dent in the stockpile. Most of these bins were so heavy with metal that if anything valuable was on the bottom it was debunked by crushing weight, so they rarely ever made it past the half-mark if the bins were that full. “After all, if my parents were rich enough to pay for me to learn what cutlery goes where, maybe I’d be a lady, too.”

Adeline laughed, head thrown back as she nearly collapsed into the bin. As they went on, Armie chatted amicably, his conversation not unwanted because it was very airy and distracting. She asked questions about the work he’d done as of late, but couldn’t ignore the looming fatigue from the lack of sustenance or sleep. Even so, she managed to dig into her extra reserves of energy to get through what was left of this so she could rest later.

Armie was still sorting through the second tankard, going through the rubble in record time as the Gut-worker hovered menacingly over his shoulder. Adeline figured he’d come help in her a moment when he didn’t feel like being a purposeful menace, but she didn’t blame him for his scrupulousness solely because they’d found many small but worthwhile discoveries. She pulled back a slab of rusting metal, relishing in the scraping sound it made as it gave way beneath her grip but didn’t split the palms of her hands open. Her eyes were drawn to something solid and square that had been hidden away, but then the chatter that had become almost as familiar as the sound of metal ended, and her gaze shifted to the crowd.

She couldn’t see Valentine, but she could hear him addressing the crowd in that soothing and commanding voice of his. Her annoyance was prevalent in the tenseness of her jaw, especially as he spouted on about how London would provide food, work, and shelter for all – a declaration received with cheers and claps for him to bask in. As the crowd swayed and dispersed, Adeline watched almost mesmerized as he talked seamlessly with every sort of person around him, smile in tact and perfectly convincing as usual.

She wanted to tell them not to believe it, but she never would. Instead Adeline gazed so intently upon him that she forgot what she was thinking about in the first place. Her focus steepled when their eyes met across the way, and she realized she’d been caught staring. Hurriedly, Adeline looked away, but not before catching the smirk on his face.

“Smarmy prick,” she said to herself as she wrapped her hands around the box to tug it. After a few good maneuvers and shakes, the box came free and the hollowness betrayed any signs of emptiness when the skittering noise of loose things rolling around caught her ears.

Armie hovered in her peripherals, noticing her absorption with the new find. “What’s that?” He tapped the box when she turned her body to open to him, frowning at the _thwack_ it made. “It’s just a box.”

“No, there’s something inside I just…” she pried at the lid, also frowning, “ – am unsure how to open it without possibly damaging the contents.”

“Is it locked?”

Gently Adeline rotated the box, keenly listening to the way things ticked inside with every movement. When she was looking at the opposite face a rusty lock, unfamiliar besides in the few ones in the museum and some she’d seen in books. “I think that might be an understatement. To get this off we’ll need metal clippers, but I don’t think anyone down here will be rushing to offer us anything.”

“Good thing we won’t need them to,” Armie patted his pockets, smiling when something clinked in affirmation. He pulled a little piece that was folded like a notebook without paper, and when he opened the flap a couple of thin, shiny metal parts tucked into string compartments. “Lucky for us, I happen to be a keen picker of locks. It’s one of the unexpected skills that comes with working with Merchants.” He pulled a needle out, “It doesn’t hurt that we’re required to have a needle and thread on us at all times, even when I’m not on duty. May I?”

“I would be a fool to deny you. It’s all yours.”

Armie took the box carefully in his hands before kneeling to take a seat. Adeline followed him, watching as he carefully balanced the box on his knee before handling the lock. Adeline offered her hand to steady the box, but Armie didn’t reply as he carefully pushed the pointed tip into the crevice at the bottom. It slid around roughly but silently, until one victorious _click_ sounded out. Armie kept that hand very still as he slid in another, and after another minute of near silence the lock offered another _click_ before one arm snapped out to give way.

He looked at the box for a moment before pulling the needles out and wrangling the lock off, gently setting it aside before looking at her. “What are you waiting for?” Armie said, “You found it, you should open it.”

“Are you sure?”

His brow quirked, “Just open it.”

Taking the box, Adeline tugged gently at the lid which creaked with every ounce of power she put behind her fingernails. Right when her grip was about to catch her body jostled at the suddenness of a voice. “Find something to put my name on, Finn?”

Adeline sighed, trying to will away the imminent headache that came on whenever Herbert decided to make his presence known. “I’m starting to think you conspire to make my life miserable.”

“Conspire with who?”

_Shit_ Adeline thought, glancing at the box for a second of reprieve so she could school her expression again. “No one, Herbert. What is it you want, exactly? You have the worse timing possible.”

“Au contraire, I think I may have the best,” he smiled smugly as he waved his hand, “Go on, open the box. Let’s see what you’ve got me.”

“Whatever it is, it won’t be yours, Millicent.” Armie snapped suddenly.

“Well hello Manning, I didn’t even see you there. Almost like you blended in with the rest of your rustic surroundings.”

Armie’s ears turned red and he opened his mouth, presumably to fire back, but Adeline cut him off. “I won’t open it if you continue speaking, Herbert. So do us all a favor and kindly _shut up.”_

Adeline knew the only reason he actually screwed his trap shut was because his curiosity overran his pride, if only because his curiosity had the opportunity to balloon his status. The silence was still welcomed, even if the atmosphere had grown heavy with the tense anticipation of what was inside the box. It popped open, and combined with Armie and Herbert’s own attentive stares as well as Adeline’s own excitement, she felt almost as if golden beams would begin to magically rise from the case.

Reality was far less exciting at first glance. The box was an unorganized morass of papers, most likely jostled from all the jostling it experienced in transit from wherever it had originally began to now. Adeline was not immediately deterred by the sight, her fingers gently leafing through the folded cards like they would evaporate at too aggressive of a touch.

One was plucked from the box by Herbert, his brow furrowed as he impatiently unfolded the paper for a cursory glance that didn’t appease him. “What is this rubbish?” Herbert must’ve pulled something similar to her, because as loath as she was to admit that she was just as confused as him, the writing on the papers was absolutely cryptic. “Give me yours.”

Adeline didn’t respond, merely handed it over before diving back into the box when Armie had gotten his fill of searching. For a few moments all three of them hurriedly filed through the papers, hoping to find something that would explain what they were looking at. A poorly made leather bound notebook was tucked away, and Adeline set it in her lap easily before continuing her perusal.

“Well, Congratulations – Finn, Manning – you’ve both managed a botch up job on duty where the only thing to claim for it is a few multiples of other replicas already in the museum’s collection and a useless handheld filing cabinet.”

Armie spouted something back, but Adeline had begun inspecting a hardened red seal that was tinkering at the bottom of the box, curved lines running over each-other in the loose imitation of an ‘A’. Her gaze caught the front, where faded lines shaping the same symbol had been hidden to the lock and from her sight until now.

Wetting the hem of her shirt with her tongue, Adeline wiped at the grime collected on the face with sloppy swipes. Little came to the surface, but the symbol was clear enough under her scrutiny that it matched the seal between her fingers.

Somewhere in between this Armie had quieted, and Herbert’s wining had evolved into clambering excuses in the face of someone Adeline didn’t deign to look up at. Back in her mind some part of her recognized it was probably Valentine, come to humiliate her further in some underhanded way that would frustrate and embarrass her to no end. Adeline was too rapt at the task in hand, her fingers rolling over the marred face of the seal before she caught one word scrawled onto her back.

“MEDUSA,” she said to herself lowly, as if trying out the word.

Valentine’s head snapped around so quickly at the slight utterance. He dare not ask her to repeat it, but Adeline was quite blissfully aware of the icy gaze that had settled on her shoulders as she held the box. It was harder to ignore when his voice rose in volume even as it dropped an octave to a rumble, his feet turning towards Adeline and Armitage, both of which had resumed standing. “He is quite right,” Adeline vaguely wondered if Valentine said ‘he’ because he’d forgotten Herbert’s name. When she glanced at him, it was hard to tell. “This is a disappointing catch if I’ve ever seen one. With such a rich city torn to shreds and very little to excuse for it. Not the makings of a rising first-class apprentice, is it?”

He was acting uninterested in the catch, but the reality was quite the opposite. Her suspicions were drowned easily by her frustration, anger, and fatigue.

Valentine’s hands were in his pockets, but Adeline could tell when he was not busy fixing his hungry gaze on her that it rested on the open box in her hands. The lid at her feet skidded forward tactlessly as she kicked it and nearly launched the box into his chest. Of course he expertly caught it, the sickly sweet smile on his face twisting into a sneer. “The test will decide my worthiness, I think.”

_Ah, the first honest response you’ve offered thus far._

Adeline offered a smile of her own, sickly sweet and a perfect imitation of the one that had graced his features before she’d meddled with the short wick of his temper. “Good day, sir. I believe our poorly executed job is done.” She glanced back as she turned on her heel, “We can share the lift up, Armie.”

Valentine’s eyes followed her, burning a heat trail up her spine that was both uncomfortable and alarmingly exciting. Armie stared at her bewildered by her side, most likely pondering what exactly had just happened. No one disrespected Valentine like that, apprentice or not. Most people respected him too much to, and others were choked by their lack of position into silence. Adeline felt emboldened, her hand coming to hover over the lump in her pocket where the small, leather bound notebook she’d stolen was hid.

She was cross with the duty to defy him. It was, in some ways, a death sentence to so willingly throw one’s self into the middle of such a fire, but Adeline had been cold for far too long and was ready to welcome the heat and whatever scars it may leave.


End file.
